Upland settlements are often found along the Setouchi seacoast to Osaka Bay in the latter to end of the middle of the Yayoi period (the latter to the end of IV period) and middle to the end of the end period (the middle to the end of the V period), and they are settlements located at very high ground compared to general settlement in the Yayoi period (50 to 300 meters high compared to flatland).
高地性集落は、弥生時代中期後半～末（IV期後半～末）、そして後期中葉～末（V期中葉～末）に瀬戸内沿岸から大阪湾にかけて頻繁に見られるもので、弥生時代の一般的な集落からみて遙かに高い場所（平地からの比高差が50～300メートル以上）に営まれている集落のことである。