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2022-01-06 12:21:27   •   ID: 2294

Artifacts from early Yomon (Japan)

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These are characteristic stone tools from the Kyōto Province / Japan, dated to the Moroiso phase of the so called Jomon Period. This early prehistoric entity began around 14,5 k.a.BCE.

Anyhow the Moroiso phase of early Yomon is dated around 5 k.a. BCE. About models of the complex genetic history of the Yomon period- see the paper by Schmidt and the publication of Cooke in the attached files.

Figure 1-4 show typical tanged scraper from chert and greenish Jaspis. Note that the tangs are almost identical to the corresponding characteristics of the North African Aterian. This is a typical convergence phenomenon, both in terms of temporal and geographic aspects.

It would be interesting to know the chaîne opératoire that led to these pedunculated instruments, but unfortunately I don't know any publication in a language I can read that addressed the issue.

Jomon was not the first archeological complex on the Archipelago. According to newer data first people (H. Sapiens) crossed to Japan from Asia at about 38 k.a. Cal BP-For older Cultures / Technocomplexes see here: 2127

Jomon began during the Oldest Dryas that followed the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). During 20-15 k.a. ago, the insularization of Japan through rising sea levels took place. Jomon subsistence strategies varied and population densities fluctuated through space and time, with trends toward sedentism.

Jomon culture continued until the beginning of the Yayoi period (~300 BCE), when the arrival of paddy field rice cultivation led to an agricultural revolution in the archipelago.

Since its very beginning, Jomon groups produced handmade pottery on a regular basis- the oldest Pottery in the World. The different phases of the Jomon culture were defined by Japanese Archeologists mainly on Pottery styles, which show a great beauty and original features.

The seriation of pottery resulted in a division of the Jomon culture into an Incipient Phase (14,5-5,0 k.a. BCE), Early Jomon (5,0-3,0 k.a. BCE), Middle Jomon (3-1 k.a. BCE), and Late Jomon (1-0,3 k.a. BCE.

Subsistence and Settlement Systems: From an Eurocentric point of view, the Jomon culture would compare well with the Late Mesolithic Ertebölle in Northern Europe.

Jomon people utilized complex hunting and gathering techniques to fulfill their needs. Their diet has been found to consist of bears, boars, fish, shellfish, yams, wild grapes, walnuts, chestnuts, and acorns. Evidence of their diet was found inside middens, domestic waste disposal piles, and shell mounds that were found near villages.

Starting around 5 k.a.BCE, the Jomon developed a more sedentary lifestyle settling into villages; the largest one at the time covered around ca 0,4 km² and had about 500 people. Villages near the sea would have relied heavily on fishing while settlements further inland adopted a primarily hunting lifestyle.

In many villages, what are assumed to be ceremonial stone platforms and storage pits have been found. Anyhow they did not necessarily remain in the same settlement throughout the year as suggested by Habu (2004).

The initial simple shelters of the villages would soon develop into pithouses built around a central fireplace, with a structure supported by pillars, accommodating around five people each. The Jomon people would settle in different areas depending on the changing climate; colder periods would require proximity to the sea as evidenced by much larger mounds of shells and fish bones found compared to warmer periods when the settlement pattern shows a shift to further inland sites in order to take advantage of the flourishing flora and fauna.

Along with the change in habitation, the total population underwent significant fluctuation: by 5k.a.BCE, it is estimated that the population would grow from 20000 to 100,000 only to grow further to 200000 by 3,0 BCE before falling back to 100000 by the end of the period.

Suggested Reading / Note:

J Habu: Ancient Jomon of Japan; 2004

This post strongly relies on an overview written by Tony Hoang, published on 02 March 2016 under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms.

Provenience: B. Callaway Collection / US