ARCHAEOLOGIA JAPONICA

Yayoi Period
ARAKI Kōji1
The Yayoi period study of Japanese Archaeology in ﬁscal 2021 was rather limited byprevention of the COVID-19, and on the other hand, online conferences became oureveryday life.
In one of the outstanding collaborative research publications, Environmental Foundationof Wars and State Formation (Bulletin of the National Museum of Japanese History No.
231), NAKATSUKA Takeshi “Nenrin Sanso Dōitai-hi wo Mochiita Yayoi/Kofun Jidai noKikō/Nōgyō Seisan Jinkō no Hendō Shimyurēshion (Fluctuation Simulation of Climate/Agricultural Production/Population in Yayoi/Kofun Periods Using Oxygen Isotope Ratio
in Tree Rings)” succeeded in simulating rice production amount, stockpile volume,
demographic change from the Yayoi to Kofun period, referring to signiﬁcant data seenin the relationship between summer climate and rich/poor rice harvests during the Edo
period. Also, MATSUGI Takehiko “Nihon Rettō-shi: Genshi Dankai no Shakai Henka to‘Kankyō’ (History of the Japanese Archipelago: Social Changes in Primitive Phases and‘Environment’)” divided the Japanese archipelago into three regions and calculated the“social complexity degree” based on 19 indices, and evaluated the relationship between
the progress period of social change and paleoenvironment. Matsugi also conducted themost outstanding study of this ﬁscal year in “Nihon Rettō Senshi: Genshi Jidai ni Okeru
Tatakai to Sensō no Purosesu (The Process of Conﬂicts and Warfare in Prehistoric andProtohistoric Periods of the Japanese Archipelago)” (Annual Papers of the AnthropologicalInstitute, Nanzan University Vol. 12), where he tried to observe transitions of war up to state
formation, based on two archaeological indices: “traces of struggle” and “traces of violent
culture complex” over a long period of time from the Jomon period to the Nara period.
Other major research results were on bronze tool production and reconstruction of casting
techniques based on detailed observation of bronze products such as KIKUCHI Nozomu“Yūkō Dōkushiro Seisan no Tenkai (Development of Hooked Bronze Bracelet Production)”(Quarterly of Archaeological Studies 68-3). Also, so called “domain a” material in leadisotope ratio analysis found in the Lelang Commandery, China is outstanding in Japan,and studies are emerging to actively conduct its historical evaluation such as OKAMURA
Hidenori “Hakusai Sareta Oumo Kyūteikyō: Osaka-fu Shikinzan Kofun Shutsudo noHōkaku-Kiku-Shishinkyō no Namari Dōitaihi Bunseki kara (An Imported Mirror from Wang
Mang’s Court: A Study of the Provenance of the TLV Mirror Excavated from the Shikinzan
Tumulus, Osaka Prefecture Based on a Lead Isotope Analysis)” (Shirin 104-5).
The above studies utilizing social archaeology and natural science could be linked tointernational research.
Other than the above, there were studies on artifacts like pottery, lithics, iron tools, jade,and so on, study on “highland villages” which means advancement to hilltops and mountainsummits, as well as study on dating measurements due to introduction of IntCal20.
1 Ako Municipal Board of Education, 81 Kariya, Ako City, Hyogo 678–0239, Japan(Kouji_ Araki@city.ako.lg.jp)

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JAPANESE JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY 11 (2023): 26–26