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Jomon Style and Yayoi Style Worldview transition with Neolithisation in central Japan

Jomon Style and Yayoi Style Worldview transition with Neolithisation in central Japan. Junzo Uchiyama Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN) Kyoto, Japan. 22-24Oct2009 CECT, Estonia. Three historical stages after the last glacial age (apprx. 12,000BP – present). Complex foragers

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Jomon Style and Yayoi Style Worldview transition with Neolithisation in central Japan

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  1. Jomon Style and Yayoi StyleWorldview transition with Neolithisation in central Japan Junzo Uchiyama Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN) Kyoto, Japan 22-24Oct2009 CECT, Estonia

  2. Three historical stages after the last glacial age (apprx. 12,000BP – present) • Complex foragers ⇒ characterized by sedentism and various socio-economic activities • Agro-pastoralism • Modern landscape Landscape of foragers Timeline Agrarian landscape GAP? Modern landscape

  3. Historical Population in Japan (20,000BCE-Present) Historical population dynamics Population in Japan Introduction of rice agriculture Foraging-main societies BC AD Industrial Revolution, late 19C Prehistoric Population in Japan (20,000BCE-200CE) Population in Prehistoric Japan BC AD

  4. Prehistory of the Japanese Archipelago Coniferous forests Hokkaido Is JOMON(15,000-3,000BP)-- Foraging-main sedentism, pottery, polished adzes Introduction of rice agriculture Jomon Yayoi Ice Age Early Middle Late Final Early states(3-5C CE) Incipient〜Initial Middle-Modern Deciduous forests YAYOI(3,000-1,600BP)-- Rice cultivation-main, bronze&iron Palaeolithic Shell-middens Rice Agriculture 1,000km Honshu Is 15,000 6,500 5,000 2,700 1,700 BP Evergreen-broad leaved forests

  5. Jomon representations • JOMON Pottery • Excessive decoration • Asymmetric and dynamicform • eg. Flame pots in central Japan ( middle Jomon, 5,500-4,500BP)

  6. YAYOI Pottery • Simple design, symmetric form • A wide range of shape categories • Static / functional beauty Yayoi representations

  7. Questions • What kind of differences, linked with mental / aesthetic consciousness, exist behind between Jomon and Yayoi? • What driving forces caused such a change?

  8. Jomon: Era of shell-middens Large mound of discarded shellfish remains by the post-glacial foragers Product as a result of long-term concentrating disposal at one place Shell-middens as cultural representations: The fluctuation in numbers is NOT coincident with the climatic change Number of S.middens Drastic temp. drop 500 Climatic optimum 400 300 200 gradual temperature drop/sea-level fall 100 0 96 5 4 3×103 BPJOMON YAYOI

  9. Jomon shell-midden: Ring-shaped complex Jomon Circular Settlement Ritual goods/houses from a central space

  10. Jomonshell-midden: Not a ring form in the beginning • The circular shape was NOT preplanned: • ⇒　It is the result that different generations made settlements in • slightly different locations, keeping a same point as an open • communal and sacred space. Discard place: Shell-midden Time Storage area Residential area Grave yard White dots are the blocks for discarding Central sacred place Settlement at a specific point of time period: apprx. Ten households?

  11. Jomon worldview: Exchange with the other world The other world Farewell Welcome Ainu bear festival Discard place: Shell-midden Central sacred place Human burials in shell-layers Vertical Landscape

  12. Yayoi: Era of Moated Circular Settlements Paddy fields; graveyards Residence, storage, political centre Moats 0 100m • The circular shape was PREPLANNED. • Every section has practical functions: • 1) Inside the moats: ordinary life • 2) The outer area for rice fields, and rituals/graves • ⇒ Clear division of space use. Shimonogo Moated Circular Settlement, ca 2,400-2,200BP

  13. Yayoi worldview: Expansion of human domain • Human domain expanded: • ⇒Human domain expanded from small spots to a certain size of territory. • Everything in the human domain must serve for human practical utility: • ⇒1) Domesticated plants/animals • 2) Human-made tools • The world became clearly separated from the other world: ⇒Pottery ended its role to communicate with the other world and became tools for ordinary life. ⇒ Pottery must take utilitarian design.

  14. Possible driving forces of worldview shift • Changes in environments or economy promoted the change in worldview? : • ⇒Jomon examples do NOT show coincidence with both factors. • People gave up the Jomon view because they felt that it did not work well: • ⇒The stress caused by either intra- or inter- socio-cultural conflicts YAYOI JOMON

  15. History of Worldview Shifts Neolithisation NATURE × Human domain Modern View Human domain expanded JOMON View “Vertical” Landscape Yayoi View Establishment of a human domain

  16. Jomon view still alive: Its impact on modern and future • Jomon view never disappeared; simply it was sidelined. ⇒We can see its ruins even in modern culture. 1) Aesthetic influence on modern arts 2) Alternative culture, rebelling against the modern system 3) Disposition admitting the existence of spirits in robots (humanoids) • Jomon view may come back to mainstream someday.

  17. Thank you very much for your attention! junzo@chikyu.ac.jp junzouchiyama@gmail.com

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