also: かいずか
noun
shell mound; shell midden; kitchen midden
An archaeological site consisting of accumulated shells, bones, and other refuse from prehistoric settlements. The term is common in Japanese archaeology.
この地域には縄文時代の貝塚が多く残っている。
Many shell mounds from the Jomon period remain in this area.
貝塚からは土器や石
Pottery and stone tools are also excavated from shell middens.
Irregular kana reading; less common but still encountered.
Compound of 貝 (kai, 'shell') and 塚 (tsuka, 'mound'). The reading づか is a rendaku form of つか.