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Archaeologists examining stone tools found at an ancient ruin say they were buried there only recently.

The Sodehara site in Obanazawa is one of many ruins around Japan where disgraced archeologist Shinichi Fujimura made "groundbreaking" discoveries.

He was caught on film last November burying tools and has admitted to planting artefacts at a Miyagi Prefecture site.

The researchers said three stone tools excavated from strata dating back to the paleolithic period were apparently buried there before the Fujimura scandal broke.

"We believe somebody planted those artefacts," said Mitsunori Tozawa, a Meiji University professor heading the team.

The Sodehara site shot to fame after Fujimura unearthed a broken stone tool that exactly matched the other half the archeologist found in ruins some 30 kilometres away, reports the Mainichi Shimbun.

Story filed: 02:07 Tuesday 10th July 2001

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