International Collaborative Research on Technology, Production, and Circulation of the Incipient and Initial Jomon Pottery of Southern Kyushu by Archaeometric Methods

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17KK0028
• Research Category: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Archaeology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: Iizuka Fumie 東京都立大学, 人文科学研究科, 客員研究員 (80744664)
• Project Period (FY): 2018 – 2021
• Keywords: 計量考古学 / 土器 / 産地同定 / 成形方法 / 技術 / 行動 / 新石器化 / 後期旧石器から縄文時代移行期

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project expands on research plans for the Grant-in-Aid-for-Scientific-Research (C) with a project title: Technological and Behavioral Organization during Late Upper Paleolithic and Incipient-Initial Jomon Transitions in Southern Kyushu. The principal investigator collaborated with experts of three universities in the United States to conduct archaeometric analyses of pottery. Combining petrographic and neutron activation analyses, the PI and collaborating researchers sourced pottery. Pottery manufacturing techniques and technology were also examined. Results suggested that Incipient Jomon pottery was mainly produced near the sites indicating that producers were relatively sedentary. However, sedentism was higher at sites on Tanegashima Island, and there were certain sites with the evidence of long distance exchange of pottery there. Manufacturing techniques were mainly layered slabs. It was interpreted that producers preferred the ease of manufacture over other techniques.

Free Research Field

考古学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は初期の土器の詳細な技術分析と行動解釈を通して、人類の新石器化の理由の解明を目指した。日本には世界最古の年代に属する狩猟採集民の製作した土器が発見されており、計量考古学の技法を用い、製作者の行動解釈をすることは国際的に高い価値を持つ。また、土器技術と人間行動の復元を目指す計量考古学の実践は日本では少数であり、国際共同研究を通して、国際誌、国内誌に執筆し、国際学会において発表を行うことで、日本の当該研究分野の発展に大きく寄与することができた。