REKIHAKU

No.143 A Witness to History

The dating of lacquer samples

Lacquer is sap from a tree and a mass of carbon. Once lacquer has been harvested by making cuts in a tree producing lacquer, it is necessary to lacquer items within a short space of time. For this reason, we can conclude that the year when the sap was harvested corresponds to the year when a lacquered item was made. From this perspective, lacquer is an ideal subject when it comes to determining its age.

From the start of dating research by Masaharu Nagashima and other members of a research group centering on the National Museum of Japanese History, a large number of lacquer samples have been subjected to AMS carbon 14 dating with the objective of creating a chronology for lacquer techniques.

None of the samples in the Museum's collection belonging to the Jomon period have actually been dated. There are many samples to be dated among those that have been reproduced and put on permanent exhibition. Here we would like to introduce a number of samples related to lacquer from the Jomon period and explain where they fit in relation to lacquer techniques and share the findings of dating research.

	From the museum's Gallery 1
Lacquer vessel from the Sorete site in Shimane Prefecture (Matsue City Board of Education)

Masaharu Nagashima took lacquer fragments adhering to the vessel, which were then dated by Beta Analytic, Inc. under the supervision of Minoru Sakamoto and Mineo Imamura of the Museum. The results were 5910±30¹⁴C BP, and includes a 95.4% probability that their calibrated dates range between 4845-4715cal BC. Viewed against dates obtained so far, this is the equivalent of the first half of Early Jomon. Japan's first lacquer wares have been excavated from an Earliest Jomon burial pit at the Kakinoshima B site in Hakodate City, Hokkaido, but unfortunately they were accidentally destroyed by fire without being dated. Recently, some lacquer wares were found in the Tomyo shell mound in Saga Prefecture. They are believed to date from the latter part of Earliest Jomon. For the present, however, we can only trace back lacquer production in Japan with any certainty using the samples from the Sorete site, for which there is direct evidence of lacquer production. There are many lacquer wares themselves known to date from Earliest Jomon, such as lacquer pottery from the Ondashi site in Yamagata Prefecture.

Probability distribution of calibrated dates of carbon 14 measurements of lacquer *Sample numbe r: Sorete lacquer *Institution number *Carbon 14 date *Carbon 14 date (14C BP) *Calibrated date (cal) *Calibrated date	Cross-sectional photograph of lacquer sap

Lacquer ware from the Wakeyachi A site in Niigata Prefecture (Tainai City Board of Education collection)）

This is a lacquer ware made from the wood of mountain cherry ("Wakeyachi A site II" illustration no. 270, Fig. 2). Masaharu Nagashima took fragments of film from the lacquer coating of the red lacquer ware made of wood, which was tested under the supervision of Ken'ichi Kobayashi. As a result, it was dated at 3480±50¹⁴C BP, and when calibrated there was a 95.4% probability that it originated from between 1930-1685cal BC. This roughly corresponds to the dates of materials adhering to Minamisanjuinaba type pottery excavated from the same site and dated at the same time. When studied against research into measuring dates conducted so far, this works out at the early part of Late Jomon

The early part of Late Jomon was a time when values were changing from bold to subtle. This saw a change in the composition of lacquer wares from those up to Middle Jomon, which were fired pottery made into lacquered bowls with three-dimensional decorations, to a more diverse range of lacquer wares, including those with spouts, symbolized by Surikeshi Jomon pottery. This example of lacquer ware indeed gleams with a subtle beauty.

Probability distribution of calibrated dates of carbon 14 measurements of lacquer coating *Sample number : Red lacquer vessel *from the Wakeyachi A site *Institution number *Carbon 14 date *Carbon 14 date (14C BP) *Calibrated date cal) *Calibrated date	Cross-sectional photograph of lacquer coating

Lacquer ware made of wood from the Korekawa site, Aomori Prefecture
(Hachinohe Board of Education)

This is a bowl-shaped vessel reported to be a wooden lacquer ware B type item (page 20, fig. 12, Hachinohe Board of Education, 2002) from Korekawa-Nakai site 1. A date of 2895±30¹⁴C BP was obtained for the lacquer coating when a sample taken by Minoru Sakamoto was dated by Toshio Nakamura at the Nagoya University Center for Chronological Research. As for calibrated dates, at 80% probability there is the highest probability that it dates between 1135-995cal BC. When studied against dating research undertaken so far, these dates correspond to the period around the end of Obora B type pottery and the beginning of Obora C1 type pottery, and correspond best to Obora BC type pottery.

During Latest Jomon, lacquer techniques became increasingly refined, mainly in eastern Japan. Lacquer wares in the eastern Japan style were introduced to western Japan as well. There are parts of lacquer wares made of wood found in the Itoku site that suggest a relationship with China. Some work is required to date these items, sort out corresponding chronological relationships, and identify mutual exchanges between the two countries.

Probability distribution of calibrated dates of carbon 14 measurements of lacquer coating *Sample number : Korekawa wooden lacquer ware B *Institution number *Carbon 14 date *Carbon 14 date (14C BP) *Calibrated date (cal) * Calibrated date<	>Cross-sectional photograph of lacquer coating

Masaharu Nagashima (Science of Cultural Properties, Research Department)
Ken'ichi Kobayashi (Prehistoric Archaeology, Research Department)