Peopling the Archipelago

1.Key features of social, political organization Three civilizations or eras, from 20,000+ bp through 500 ce 2. What sorts of evidence? Mainly objects 3. What sorts of debates? An obsession with origins From where? Singular vs. multiple sources? Topics and themes:

Early Jōmon: 20,000 bp Glaciers Volcanoes

Jōmon pottery

Jōmon Period 20,000 BCE BCE 20,000 BCE BCE Hunters/gatherers Hunters/gatherers Stone tools Stone tools Pit dwellings Pit dwellings Apparently little wealth disparity or social stratification Apparently little wealth disparity or social stratification

Matriarchical society? Matriarchical society?

Over 2500 such sites are known

Edward Sylvestor Morse See: Christopher Benfey, The Great Wave

Yayoi Period Name from Tokyo place Name from Tokyo place 300 BCE CE 300 BCE CE Settled agriculturalists Settled agriculturalists More sophisticated pottery More sophisticated pottery Wet rice agriculture Wet rice agriculture Use of metal tools, weapons, bells Use of metal tools, weapons, bells Connections to the Asian mainland Connections to the Asian mainland

Yayoi village, artists rendition, of ca bp

Site of a Yayoi village Social class structure Varied village size Specialized production

Possible routes of entry for Yayoi culture B and C: Most support Mixed with Jomon Start of consistent flow of culture across sea

Kofun Period 300 ce -645 ce Giant Tombs Wealth/status disparities Sign of early state formation Rule over distant subjects Exact tax of tribute Legitimacy (ideology)

Evidence:Tombs (kofun), circa 300 CE through 500s These: Nintoku and Ritoku, early 400s Timing

Haniwa: show up from 5 th c. CE (400s)

Cultural inflow, 400s Haniwa Haniwa Writing Writing Better rice and metal technology Better rice and metal technology More complex political offices, ranks More complex political offices, ranks How delivered? How delivered? –Invasion of horseriders (x) –Japanese (Wa) conquest and return (x) –Migrants, war refugees (o)

Who were the earliest people? Multi-cultural Japan: from various places Multi-cultural Japan: from various places Replaces singular race or ethnicity theories of the Japanese Replaces singular race or ethnicity theories of the Japanese Ironically, harks back to wartime rhetoric of Japan as multi-ethnic empire Ironically, harks back to wartime rhetoric of Japan as multi-ethnic empire

Three eras: Jōmon, Yayoi, Tomb Increasingly complex Mixing, hybrid Evidence Mainly in objects Debate: Over origins, shifting consensus in shifting present Summary