The objective of this study is to examine the characteristics of archaeological remains such as dwelling sites and earthenware of Sony Culture which is a culture of Middle Neolithic Era in Sakhalin, and then to examine the aspect of resource utilization of middle Neolithic natives.
As a culture of middle Neolithic Era in the southern part of Sakhalin, the Sony Culture seems to be continued for about 800-1,000 years after the initial appearance about 5,500-5,300 years ago. So far, about 25 remains have been excavated, and provided lots of information for understanding the cultural aspect. All the remains are located in seashore cliffs facing the ocean, and most of the dwelling sites are distributed on the shore. The research subjects are the representative dwelling remains of Sony Culture such as Кузнецово 3, 4, Стародубское 3, Славная 4, and Чайво 6.
The natives of Sony Culture resided in the squared semi-pit dwelling sites, and their residential area composed of 4-5 houses is mainly distributed along the seashore. Inside the dwelling sites, there were a fire pot and Sony earthenwares with its flat bottom, squared body, and mouth part decorated with triangular projection without surface decoration. As a lot of fishnet weights, craftworks looking like marine animals, and bones of big fish and marine mammals have been excavated, it is possible to guess that the natives of Sony Culture probably enjoyed an affluent life by fully adapting themselves to the environment of the Sakhalin Island based on the ocean.