Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Japan has one of the oldest and most active traditions of archaeological research in the world. This chapter uses evidence from archaeology and related fields to provide a thematic overview of the history of the Japanese islands from the first human settlement through to the Nara period of the eighth century ad. It must be stressed that given the frantic pace of archaeological excavation in Japan today, many of the conclusions presented here may soon be changed by new discoveries. The aim of this chapter, therefore, is to summarize the main themes and areas of debate in ancient Japan rather than to attempt an exhaustive discussion of specific aspects of the archaeological record.The Paleolithic period starts with the first human occupation of Japan, which was perhaps as late as 35,000 years ago. The Paleolithic was followed by the Jōmon period, which most archaeologists begin with the first appearance of pottery around 16,500 years ago. The Jōmon is usually divided into six subphases termed Incipient, Initial, Early, Middle, Late, and Final; a seventh phase, the Epi-Jōmon, is found only in Hokkaidō. Considering the very long duration of the Jōmon period and the ecological diversity of the Japanese archipelago, it is not surprising that there is great cultural variation within the Jōmon tradition. Rather than a single “Jōmon culture” it is more appropriate to speak of plural Jōmon ... log in or subscribe to read full text