The Jomon Megalithic Tradition in Japan: Origins, Features, and Distribution
The Jomon Megalithic Tradition in Japan: Origins, Features, and Distribution
DOI: 10.17746/1563-0110.2017.45.4.045-055
A.V. Tabarev, D.A. Ivanova, A.L. Nesterkina, and E.A. Solovieva
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
The Jomon monumental structures on the islands of Kyushu, Honshu, and Hokkaido represent the earliest of three traditions, the two others being associated with the cultures of Yayoi and Kofun. The beginnings of this tradition date back to the Early Jomon (ca 8000 BP), while its peak coincides with the Late Jomon (4000–3000 BP). Unlike the people associated with the two later traditions (agriculturalists and animal breeders), the Jomon people were hunters, gatherers, and fishers. This is the first Russian study that addresses various types of Jomon monumental structures (stone alignments, stone circles, earthen mounds, and “geometric” shell middens), their distribution and chronology. The most interesting sites (Yubunezawa II, Oyu, Komakino, Sannai Maruyama, Kasori, etc.) are documented with drawings and photos. It is hypothesized that the tradition originated as early as the Final Paleolithic and the transition to the Jomon Mikoshiba culture. We present parallels with sites in the adjacent territories of the Russian Far East (Primorye) such as Ustinovka-4, Suvorovo-4, and Bogopol-4. Given the complexity of the monumental structures (elaborate layout, traces of wooden structures, burials, numerous works of art, visual effects, astronomical orientation, “sundials”), these sites can be viewed as multifunctional ritual centers. In terms of the amount of material and labor required for construction, they are comparable with the Neolithic funerary structures of Western Europe.
