2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
A Morphological Study of the Adult Jar Coffins of the Yayoi Period
| Project/Area Number |
15520479
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Archaeology
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| Research Institution | KYUSHU UNIVERSITY |
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Principal Investigator |
MIZOGUCHI Koji Kyushu University, Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies, Associate Professor, 大学院・比較社会文化研究院, 助教授 (80264109)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2004
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| Keywords | Jar coffin / adult jar coffin / Yayoi period / Northern Kyushu / Japan / Archaeology / pottery / methodology |
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| Research Abstract |
This research aimed at investigating the nature and character of a category of archaeological artifacts. The jar coffins of the Yayoi period Northern Kyushu region of Japan were chosen as the material. The Yayoi period is widely accepted to have witnessed social stratification and a rapid increase of social complexity ignited by the systematic adoption of rice paddy field agriculture. The production of material items in the period is also inferred to have been semi- or fully-specialized from seemingly highly sophisticated outcomes typically seen in pottery products including the jar coffins. They are exceptionally large in size as earthen wares, and the potting techniques employed are seemingly standardized and sophisticated to the extent that some scholars conclude that they were manufactured by specialized potters/artisans. However, with some notable exceptions, it has to be noted that exactly how sophisticated and standardized the potting techniques employed were have not been subje
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cted to systematic scrutiny. The objective of this research was to fill this vacuum by investigating the morphological nature and character of the intra- and inter-site variability of the jar coffins of the Middle Yayoi period Northern Kyushu.
The notable outcomes arc as follows :
1 The intra-site variability can most significantly be observed in such attributes as 1)surface finishing technique, 2)the shape of the time, and 3)the shape of the clay band applied on the body. This suggests that a number of potters were involved in the production of the coffins which were morphologically broadly identical.
2 The inter-site variability shows that there existed a number of geographical clines which can be grasped as mutually-overlapping distribution areas of morphological sub-categories of the jar coffins.
3 These clines were changed through time in their spatial patternings.
4 1 and 2 above suggest that the production system of the jar coffins are identical to that of the contemporary pots for daily use.
5 3 above suggests that the system of information exchange concerning the production of the jar coffins and related matters such as the procedure of mortuary rituals changed through time.
6 By drawing upon these outcomes the research tentatively concluded that the production system of the jar coffins did not quite reach the degree of sophistication and standardization which can be characterized as "full craft specialization". Less
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Research Products
(2 results)
