A Journey Through History: Jōmon – Part One (Earliest to Middle Jōmon)
8 minutes read
Edward S. Morse from Popular Science Monthly Volume 13
The Jōmon era (縄文時代 approximately 12,000–300 BC) was named after the discoveries of archaeologist Edward S. Morse, who in 1877 worked on the first site connected to that period: the shell mounds of Ōmori. He unearthed several examples of pottery and described their decorative patterns as ‘cord-marked’ – a term that was later translated into Japanese as jōmon 縄文. In 1937, historian Yamanouchi Sugao defined the prehistorical Japanese times prior to rice cultivation using this pottery-related terminology. He divided the long Jōmon era into subcategories: the earliest (sōki 早期), early (zenki 前期), middle (chūki 中期), late (kōki 後期), and latest Jōmon (banki 晩期). However, it must be stated that this division is based on practicality rather than a close depiction of the reality of the time. Populations in Japan developed in less linear and more variegated ways, expressing themselves in different and complex cultural and social structures. Many regional varieties and identities emerged throughout Japan islands with the discovery of new archaeological sites. For the sake of brevity, we will only present here general key points of each periods, yet we highly recommend you bring your discovery even further if this topic appeals to you.
8,000 years old shell midden of Higashimyō Site in Saga city. ©Pekachu
Earliest Jōmon (8000–6000 BC)
A first complexification of social gatherings happened already in the earliest stage of Jōmon. Traces have been found of semi-sedentary proto villages in lands that were thought to be fertile and abundant in venison. Primitive houses were built in circular perimeters that enclosed a common fireplace, situated in the middle of the ‘village’. Usually, those gatherings tended to be relatively small, and rarely exceeded a semi-dozen of households. It is also believed that dog domestication happened, or was already common, during this stage, as rests of dogs have been frequently found nearby inhabited sites.
Scholars have assumed that a spiritual awareness was in development, mainly connected to burial practices, as shown by significant care in inhumation procedures of the time. Those who died were buried in flexed or foetal positions and their bodies were generally surrounded by shells. Life expectancy at the time has been estimated around 30 years, as children mortality was still important and food scarcity was still a plague affecting many, especially during important climactic fluctuations. The Cambridge History of Japan suggests an estimation of the average population at the time: ‘Koyama Shuzo calculated the population of the Earliest Jōmon to be around 21,900’. Those first settlers had still semi-nomadic habits, as they moved following wild animals and food availability.
The first clear signs of pottery decoration are from this period as people carved potteries with sticks, begun experimenting cord patterns and marked their crafts with shells before baking them.
Twin Earliest Jomon potteries in display at Uenohara, Kirishima. ©Takuma-sa
Early Jōmon (6000–3000 BC)
During Early Jōmon populations begun to acquire sedentary habits and, consequently, proto-villages gatherings were getting progressively more complex. Primordial forms of harvesting, or we should say rational picking, required to develop storage practices to shelter those resources from the impact of elements. Sheltering from wind and rain was implemented through tight pitched roofs made of grass. Habitations were expanding as this new lifestyle enlarged families’ sizes, and inner activity were progressively sought after and started to assume square or rectangular shapes with rounded corners. Villages at the time were organized through horseshoe patterns, with shared fireplaces that were progressively making their way into the individual’s habitations.
Reconstruction of an Early Jōmon housing at Sannai-Maruyama, the biggest archaeological site for the period. ©I, Perezoso
Once again the Cambridge History of Japan provides us a rough estimation of population size at the time: ‘reliable food sources and somewhat longer stays near the coast produced a dramatic increase in population. According to Koyama's calculations, the Early Jōmon population numbered around 106,000, a [percentual] increase unmatched at any other stage of the Jōmon period’.
Inside the reconstruction of the long house at Sannai-Maruyama. ©663highland
Middle Jōmon (3000–2000 BC)
A blooming of cultural and social developments characterizes the Middle Jōmon period. It is very likely that, by this time, regional forms of harvesting were mastered, as suggested by the amount of adze like tools found in archaeological sites. Diets very enriched with the consumption of several tubers like yam and taro who provided important nutrients like carbohydrates, thus improving life conditions. Gatherings were growing and proper villages started to take shapes while housing were constantly rethought and rebuilt to better fit new needs. Excavating soils to reduce humidity infiltration became the norm as fireplaces started occupying the centre of those habitations. Settlers were spending more time in indoor activities such as cooking, and this implied more socialization. Those early villages were often consisting of five to eight households.
A consequence of more consistent social exchanges was the establishment of behavioural codes and rituals. Dedicated ritualistic items and decorative patterns found on domestic tools suggest a spiritual concern regarding fertility and funerary habits. Male and female attributes were elaborated through spiritual systems, as many phallic stone sculptures have been found as well as women shaped statues made of clay. Both types of objects have been frequently found laying on platforms situated at house entrances.
Phallic stone rods (height 1m), in display at Tokyo National Museum.©Ismoon
“Jomon Goddess” dogū statue (height 45 cm), in display at Yamagata Prefectural Museum. ©Saigen Jiro
Another recurrent pattern found in potteries and statues is a snake head, thought to represent a mamushi, also known as Japanese viper. Scholars have suggested an important presence of snake cults, which rituals were probably performed by female shamans using some sort of lamps commonly exhumated in archaeological sites of the time. Hypothesis regarding the formation of such cults have found a probable explanation in the effects of a mamushi bite, which deadly toxins induce daze and confusion. Those hypotheses argue that people bitten by a mamushi were thought to be possessed by spirits as they had weird behaviours before dying.
Early gatherings were probably led by spiritual officiants, like shamans, which specialized in interpreting natural signs for the sake of the group. Those interpreting skills became highly praised as they helped settlers avoiding dangerous areas such as the central and eastern parts of Kyūshū, as the volcanic activity of Mt.Aso made it to hazardous.
"Fire Flame" style pottery excavated at the Middle Jomon Sasayama site, in display at Tokamachi City Museum
New lifestyle and new resources also implied an improvement of pottery craftmanship and cooking pots became bigger and more elaborate. By that time, it is highly probable that people knew how to steam their food, allowing the preparation of a broader variety of edible food. Improved cooking techniques led to better nourishment and an amelioration of living conditions and life span. However, by comparing dentition and bone densities, scholars were able to observe that male bodies were generally stronger than female ones, probably due to calcium decompensations during pregnancies.
As good things come in threes, the Cambridge History of Japan presents us an estimation of population close to 265,000 people for Middle Jōmon. However, the end of this period was marked by a severe deterioration of climate conditions that forced migrations from the mountains toward coastal areas and riversides. Settlers were seeking new food sources and found in fisheries and seafood the optimal provider of proteins. Even if meat consumption has never been high during Jōmon, it significantly dropped toward its conclusive part. As people were gathering in more flourishing areas, more elaborate social system started to form proper villages. At the same time, social and spiritual behaviours were getting more complex, as we will present in the next blog articles. Unfortunately, today’s time is over, but stay tuned for the continuation of Jōmon and a dossier about the first Japanese ritual tools coming very soon!
Written by Marty Borsotti