Japanese pottery - Jomon period

Chapter Title: The appearance of pottery
Book Title: Jomon Reflections
Book Subtitle: Forager Life and Culture in the Prehistoric Japanese Archipelago
Authors: Tatsuo Kobayashi and Oki Nakamura
Publisher: Oxbow Books, 2004
Stable URL: JSTOR Link

Radiocarbon dating: The oldest pottery fragments in the world have been found in the Japanese archipelago.
Significance: Understanding the development of pottery is crucial for Jomon archaeology but remains unclear how it became integral to Jomon culture.

Environmental Context: Kato Shinpei suggests that the rich environments of Kyushu, with abundant chestnuts, walnuts, and acorns, may have contributed to the emergence of pottery.
- Supporting Evidence: Early village sites and artifacts from Fukui Cave in Nagasaki.

Historical Perspective: Yamanouchi Sugao believed pottery was invented elsewhere in continental East Asia and diffused into Japan.
Comparative Analysis: Sato Tatsuo compared pottery from Kosegasawa Cave with designs from Siberia and Korea, indicating ancestral connections.
- Reevaluation: Research shows that the pottery assumed to be ancestral dates later than Jomon pottery, suggesting an independent development.

Proposition: Proposed by Serizawa Chosuke, indicating that pottery may have originated in several different locations, including the Japanese archipelago.

Use in Cooking: Pottery was integral for cooking in the Japanese archipelago, with evidence from sites such as Kakoinohara in Kagoshima Prefecture.
- Evidence of Cooking: Discolored clay from pots implies they were exposed to fire; carbonized food remnants were found.
- Comparison to Western Asia: Early pottery in Western Asia was used differently (storage jars vs. cooking pots).

Two Necessary Conditions:
1. Technological ability to manufacture pottery.
2. A perceived need to create pottery.
Analogy from Psychology: Derived from Wolfgang Kohler’s experiments with chimpanzees demonstrating problem-solving through tools. The chimp’s need for food led to realizing the potential of available resources (stick as a tool, box as a springboard).
Application: The combination of clay, water, and fire underlies the potential for the creation of pottery.

Technological Revolution: Pottery enabled a broader range of foods to be prepared and consumed, increasing the Jomon diet diversity significantly.
Need for Cooking: Many plant foods in cooler zones require cooking, especially those with toxins (e.g., acorns).

Example: Natsushima, dating to around 9000 years ago, associated with the Initial Jomon, shows evidence of significant dietary changes and food preparation.
Shell Types Found: Evidence of multiple species of shellfish indicates early marine resource exploitation.

Eiroku Nikki (1623): First documentation of ancient earthenware in Japan, specifically mentioning Kamegaoka, a significant site for Jomon culture.

Discoveries: Morse examined cord-marked pottery in Omori in the 1870s, significantly contributing to the scientific approach to Jomon archaeology.
Cord Pattern Naming: The term "Jomon" (meaning cord pattern) originated from Morse’s documentation of the pottery characteristics.

Historical Context: Scholars like Sugiyama Sueo and Oyama Kashiwa attempted to understand how cord patterns were applied.
Yamanouchi Sugao's Innovations:
- Established a typology for cord-marked patterns and hypothesized they were created by rolling cords onto clay.
- His accidental discovery in 1931 highlighted the way these decorative marks were produced.

Pottery Characteristics: Individual pots display both common traits and distinguishing features, allowing classification by style.
Role of Potters: It is theorized that women predominantly made these pots, reflecting personal and community identities in their design.

Group Variations: Analysis of pottery within cultural context leads to understanding community relationships.
Artistic Freedom vs. Community Standards: Individual expression coexists within communal standards, leading to fluidity in pot designs.

Subdivisions of the Jomon: Archaeologists categorize the Jomon period into six main subperiods, each with internal stylistic phases.
Evolution Rates: Stylistic changes accelerated over time, with shorter periods during historical eras following the Jomon.

Calculations: 10,000 years divided by 60 identified phases indicates an average duration of about 166 years for each phase.

Incipient Jomon:
- Early pottery forms with mental templates from other container types.
- Initial creative expressions, patterns influenced by non-clay vessels.
Initial Jomon:
- Introduction of conical deep pots as the primary form, emphasizing pottery's unique identity.
- Decoration shifts focus to forms intrinsic to clay rather than imitative designs.
Early Jomon:
- Diversification in vessel shapes and uses, including serving and storage.
- New ornamental techniques introduced, including divided designs and complex compositions.
Middle to Final Jomon:
- Emergence of a full range of vessel types for various functions (cooking, serving, burial) alongside ritualistic uses.
- Development of narrative patterns that bear cultural significance and layer meanings beyond mere ornamentation.

Cultural Narratives: Pottery reflects deeper societal beliefs and practices, including storytelling embedded in decorative motifs.
Community Engagement: Shared artistic endeavors, likely linked to communal rituals and social interactions, promoted an understanding of cultural narratives reflected in pottery designs.

Evolving Concepts: The transformation of Jomon pottery illustrates both technological advancements and shifts in social context, weaving a narrative rich in historical significance.