The Center for Obsidian and Lithic Studies (COLS), Meiji University, founded in April 2001, is unique because it is the only institute in Japan with research facilities for all fields of obsidian studies, both from the Natural and the Social Sciences. In 2010 the COLS was reorganized to further promote obsidian studies and to enhance international research collaborations networks, such as the Organization for the Strategic Coordination of Research and Intellectual Properties at Meiji University. In 2013 we embarked on an international joint research project with the Department of Archaeology and Museology of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, which led to archaeological and geological expeditions in Ukraine during August of the same year. In 2014 after the conclusion of the bilateral agreement on research, education, and cultural cooperation between Meiji University and Taras Shaevchenko National University of Kiev, we published the proceedings of our joint research projects titled “Archaeological and Geological Researches in Ukraine”, edited by Masayoshi Yamada. The collected papers in this second volume present an update on the results of our ongoing research endeavours.

The studies presented here were supported by the “International Joint Research Project” proposed by the Organization for the Strategic Coordination of Research and Intellectual Properties at Meiji University, by the Grants-In-Aid for International Research Projects from Meiji University in 2014, and by a grant from the Strategic Research Foundation at Private Universities from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT), 2011-2015 (S1101020).

Center for Obsidian and Lithic Studies (COLS), Meiji University (Tokyo), Taras Schevchenko National University of Kyiv (Kiev) Edited by Masayoshi Yamada and Sergii Ryzhov