Archaeological research on the early dispersal of modern human in Asia

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H01336
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 03050:Archaeology-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: SATO HIROYUKI 東京大学, 大学院人文社会系研究科(文学部), 教授 (50292743)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 現生人類 / 早期拡散 / アジア / 旧石器時代 / 石器製作・運用技術

Outline of Final Research Achievements

So far, the Asian diffusion theory of modern humans based on genetic anthropology, which started from Africa 60,000 years ago and was completed 40,000 years ago, was identified to the establishment of the Upper Paleolithic with the emergence and diffusion of blade techniques as indicators. This previous archaeological scenario needs to be reexamined by the applicant's research. There are two diffusion routes, one is northbound (Central Asia, South Siberia, northern China, etc.) and the other is southbound (India, Southeast Asia, Australia, etc.) with Tibet as the boundary. It is obvious that the established theory so far applies to the northbound, but in the southbound, modern humans spread from an earlier stage (after 100,000 years ago), and there was no blade technique that has been regarded as an archaeological index. This cause is likely to be due to differences in natural environmental and resource conditions.

Free Research Field

考古学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現生人類の出現とアジアへの拡散により地球上はホモ・サピエンスだけの世界となったが、それを石刃技法という特定の石器製作技術に結びつけて理解することが長期に渡り定説化してきた。しかしながら、これは研究が先行した欧米中心の研究成果に過ぎず、アジア南部では複雑で複線的な人類進化と環境適応があったことが明らかになったことにより、人類史理解の枠組みが大きく変更を迫られたと言える。このことは、単線的な人類史を描きがちな人類学・考古学に対する根本的な問題提起を与えたことを意味し、学術的意義はきわめて高く社会的意義も大きい。