YAMATO-74 Meteorites Collection, Antarctica from November to December 1974

663 new Yamato meteorites have been found around the Yamato Mountains, East Antarctica, during the period from November to December 1974 by the meteorite searching team of the 15th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition. In 1974,1975 and 1976 more than 158 pieces had been found by a systematic search on the bare ice surface of an area of 10km square where only 18 pieces were found in 1969 and 1973. Besides ordinary cases, there were two meteorites showing different modes of occurrence, one was found buried in the ice and the other lay on the firn (compact snow). This collection with specimens ranging in weight from 5,575 to 0.1 grams, was named Yamato-74 meteorites and the specimens were designated as Yamato-74001 to Yamato-74663 in order of discovery. They comprised one stony-iron (pallasite), 24 achondrites and many chondrites including carbonaceous chondrites, but no iron meteorite was found as was the case with earlier findings. Field occurrences and features of Yamato-74 meteorites are described in some detail, and a possibility of discovery of more meteorites is suggested.