Outline

Wetland and Jomon People - Archaeology in the Wetlands

Period of exhibition June 14 (Tue) - July 31 (Sun), 2005
Exhibition site Special Exhibition Galleries [ Access ]
Admission fee Included in general admission fee
[ Introduction To The Museum ]
Hours 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (no entrance after 4:30 p.m.)
Closed

Mondays

Sponsor National Museum of Japanese History

Archaeological sites dating from the Jomon period are usually found on hills facing the ocean or on terraces facing a river. Pit dwellings and graveyards have been excavated from these sites. A great many pieces of earthenware and stoneware have been excavated. The discovery of shell middens containing bones of fish such as sea bream and sea bass, birds such as pheasants and ducks, and wild animals such as deer, wild boar and rabbits tell us that these particular animals were a source of food. Although with regard to food, clothing and shelter we are able to conjecture to a certain extent as to the food and dwellings of Jomon man, we know virtually nothing about their clothing. The reason for this is that textiles rot and so do not survive. Because it is also difficult for vegetable foods such as chestnuts and walnuts to survive, it is hard for us to know the extent to which Jomon man ate such foods. With dwellings too, the failure of wood to survive means that we don't know about the structure of their dwellings.

However, when sites adjoining rivers, swamps and lakes are discovered, there are cases where textiles and wooden materials survive due to immersion in water. They survive because they are not exposed to air and so do not oxidize. While in the past excavation of this type of marshland site was quite uncommon, recently there have been excavations of marshland sites dating from the Jomon period in various parts of Japan.

Aim of the exhibition

The aim of this exhibition is to obtain a clearer picture of everyday life during the Jomon period, using the Aota site in Niigata Prefecture, the Shimoyakebe site in Higashi-Murayama City in Tokyo, and the Korekawa site in Hachinohe City in Aomori Prefecture as examples. The impetus behind the planning of this exhibition is collaborative research conducted at Rekihaku (National Museum of Japanese History) between 2001 and 2003 called "The Impact of Jomon and Yayoi Agriculture on the Environment." This collaborative research involved examining aspects such as the use of plants during the Jomon period and cultivated plants during the Yayoi period. The Aota site in Niigata Prefecture was discovered while we were conducting this research. Large quantities of bows, arrows and textiles were also discovered at the Shimoyakebe site in Higashi-Murayama City in Tokyo. The discovery of exquisite lacquered receptacles and red balls of yarn at the Wakeyachi A site in Niigata Prefecture as well as the discovery of a succession of novel lacquered wares at the Korekawa Nakai site in Hachinohe City has revealed a new aspect to Jomon culture. We decided, therefore, to gather together these new materials and rediscover Jomon culture.

Main exhibits

First, there is the Aota site in Niigata Prefecture. As a site near the coast of the Niigata Plain, we did not think that we would find anything in this kind of place. Although today the site is exactly at sea level, because during Late Jomon it was several meters above sea level and was next to a river, some pillars from a house have survived. The pillars are placed at each corner of a hexagonal shape, revealing a house layout that has been virtually unknown until today. From the position of these pillars we could not tell what type of floor plan the house had had when built, nor whether it had a raised floor or a ground-level floor.

The exhibits include a dugout canoe and wooden articles from the Aota site, bows and arrows and textile articles such as baskets from the Shimoyakebe site, lacquered receptacles from the Wakeyachi A site, and wooden articles and articles made from tree bark from the Korekawa Nakai site. The bulk of exhibits are excavated articles that were used daily, such as the handles of stone axes, wooden receptacles and wooden digging implements.

Items of particular note in this exhibition are a red and black lacquered water jug, red lacquered ball of yarn and a decorated wooden receptacle. The black lacquered wooden water jug excavated from Kurokawa village in Niigata Prefecture was crammed full of walnut shell fragments and more than ten different types of seeds, including elderberry seeds, when it was excavated. Because the contents are not considered to have been a fruit wine, it is conjectured that they were used to make medicine or seasoning. Because there have been frequent finds of red lacquered yarn in recent years, we now know that Jomon man was fond of using it. However, we are surprised that they tied the yarn and formed it into round balls after they had applied lacquer and dried it. Our surprise is due to the fact that the technique whereby lacquer is dried and hardened to give it flexibility is a forgotten technique today. Although we at Rekihaku took on the challenge of replicating the technique used by Jomon man to make balls of yarn by baking colcothar and making yarn from ramie cultivated in the Rekihaku Botanical Garden of Everyday Life, our efforts only served to show us the sophistication of Jomon techniques.

The receptacle made from tree bark excavated from the Korekawa Nakai site is a large round basket with a lid that was made by bending and weaving bark, and is a wooden article that we have known little about until now. Lacquer was applied to the surface to create a cloud pattern similar to those found on earthenware

The exhibition also includes the display of the remains of watering places excavated in various locations using replicas and video. In the last section of the exhibition we use images to show scenes of excavation at the Aota, Korekawa Nakai and Shimoyakebe sites.

As this exhibition is jointly sponsored by the Tohoku History Museum and the Niigata Prefectural Museum of History, it may be viewed at these museums as well.

Photos

Aota site, Niigata Prefecture

Aota site, Niigata Prefecture

Red lacquered receptacle made of wood

Red lacquered receptacle made of wood

Bowl with wooden center

Bowl with wooden center

Red lacquered ball of yarn

Red lacquered ball of yarn

Scene showing excavation of earplug and ball of yarn

Scene showing excavation of earplug and ball of yarn