Numerous faunal remains have been excavated from many modern age sites in Tokyo With the increased excavation activity, several aspects of dietary patterns in the Edo era have been identified At the Azabudai site in Minato-ku, Tokyo, many fish bones and shells have been excavated from refuse pits These are the remains of food consumed by residents of the site, on which had stood the official residences of two daimyo, the Uesugi and Inaba, in the Edo era. The remains are of two main types one is exemplified by red sea-bream bones and abalone shells, traditionally exchanged as gifts among the daimyo and other members of the upper classes, the other is mainly sardine bones and corbicula shells, which were widely consumed among the inhabitants of Edo. This shows that the residents of the site represented all social classes, from daimyo to servant. Servants were chosen from among farmers and city people to provide domestic services. The backbones of tuna at the site were excavated only from pits dating form the latter half of the eighteenth century Historical sources from the Edo era suggest that tuna was note a major seafood before the middle of the eighteenth century. However, wth the development of fishing technology and the expansion of the city population in the latter half of the eighteenth century, tuna became an important source of protein among the inhabitants of the city. This coincidence of archaeological and historical evidence is a good example of how one can reconstruct cultural history with the co-operation of archaeology and history

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