I will divide the Jomon complexity into 3 parts that can be examined in shell mounds: 1) Subsistence 2) Material Culture 3) Lifeways.
Subsistence
The definition for subsisting given by dictionary.com is as follows: "To remain alive: live; as on food, resources, etc." Food and resources is exactly what I want to focus on in terms of subsistence, and how we can see this in the mounds.
What can shell mounds tell us about the Jomon subsistence?
Habu in her article, Shell midden archaeology in Japan: Aquatic food acquisition and long-term change in the Jomon culture, divides Japan into four regions (1. Tohoku 2. Kanto 3. Chubu and 4. Western Japan) and examines middens from each region to tell us a little something about the Jomon subsistence patterns. I will use her paper to examine how shell mounds can show us the complex style of subsistence the Jomon practiced.
It is important to mention that there are middens all across of Japan, including inland. Some of the Jomon mounds are found inland, away from seashores, suggests that these people may have not had the same accessibility to sea resources. "The excavation of the Nakasawame shell midden, a freshwater shell midden in Miyagi Prefecture (Late-Final Jomon) is a good example of an application of this excavation method. The results indicate that subsistence activities focused on freshwater resources, including freshwater mussel, Japanese mystery snail, carp, and catfish" (Habu 20). This is an example of a mound that was found inland, and we can see a wide variety of resources being exploited by these Jomon. Although this site is located inland, we can still see a visible use of fish. This speaks volume to not only the resources being used by the Jomon, but also to possible material culture being used, such as fishing nets and wooden canoes; which we will talk about in a later post.
Here Habu is referring to the Awazy site which is located in Western Japan. It represents the importance of shell mounds in a nutshell. It doesn't only tell us what the Jomon were eating, but what they were doing in different seasons. This specific midden tells us that during the spring the Jomon in this region focused on collection of marine resources and perhaps shifted to inland resources such as nuts during the fall.
"Shell middens on the Japan sea coast are characterized by abalone, while those in the other regions yield surf clams, oysters, and common brackish-water shellfish such as Corbicula japonica. Along with harpoon heads of the closed socket type that were carried over from the Okhotsk period for large mammal hunting..." (Okada 346). Here we can also see that the Jomon hunted large mammals which are found more inland, away from the coasts. This goes back to the fact that the Jomon had various resources to exploit throughout the year, which is a good reason they never had the need to switch to agriculture.
"Data from Natsushima, Mazukari and other Initial Jomon shell mounds indicate that intensive exploitation of marine shellfish in Honshu go back to ca. 8000-7000 BC. This timing corresponds to the transition from highly mobile generalists of the Incipient Jomon period to more sedentary specialists or collectors of the Early Jomon period" (Habu 25). Through the study of shell mounds, archaeologists can make statements like the one above. The number one hint about subsistence practices comes from faunal remains found in shell mounds. “Faunal remains are rare in most nonshell midden Jomon sites” (Bleed). I believe that if it wasn't for these precious shell mounds, much of what we know today about the Jomon culture, would not be possibly comprehensible without them.
Habu, Junko., Akira, Matsui., Yamamoto, Naoto., Kanno, Tomonori. Shell midden archaeology in Japan: Aquatic food acquisition and long-term change in the Jomon culture. Quaternary International 2011 Vol. 239 p19-27.What can shell mounds tell us about the Jomon subsistence?
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| Here we can identify the four regions that Habu talks about. This picture is included in the article. |
Habu in her article, Shell midden archaeology in Japan: Aquatic food acquisition and long-term change in the Jomon culture, divides Japan into four regions (1. Tohoku 2. Kanto 3. Chubu and 4. Western Japan) and examines middens from each region to tell us a little something about the Jomon subsistence patterns. I will use her paper to examine how shell mounds can show us the complex style of subsistence the Jomon practiced.
It is important to mention that there are middens all across of Japan, including inland. Some of the Jomon mounds are found inland, away from seashores, suggests that these people may have not had the same accessibility to sea resources. "The excavation of the Nakasawame shell midden, a freshwater shell midden in Miyagi Prefecture (Late-Final Jomon) is a good example of an application of this excavation method. The results indicate that subsistence activities focused on freshwater resources, including freshwater mussel, Japanese mystery snail, carp, and catfish" (Habu 20). This is an example of a mound that was found inland, and we can see a wide variety of resources being exploited by these Jomon. Although this site is located inland, we can still see a visible use of fish. This speaks volume to not only the resources being used by the Jomon, but also to possible material culture being used, such as fishing nets and wooden canoes; which we will talk about in a later post.
"Archaeologists who analyzed the Awazu data concluded that the alternate layers represent seasonal cycles of subsistence activities by the Middle Jomon residents of this site: intensive shellfish collecting and fishing in the spring to early summer, and nut collecting in the fall. Judging from the evidence of intensive food-processing activities and scarcity of pottery and other artifacts, it is likely that Midden No. 3 was a seasonal laboring site" (Habu 24).
Here Habu is referring to the Awazy site which is located in Western Japan. It represents the importance of shell mounds in a nutshell. It doesn't only tell us what the Jomon were eating, but what they were doing in different seasons. This specific midden tells us that during the spring the Jomon in this region focused on collection of marine resources and perhaps shifted to inland resources such as nuts during the fall.
"Shell middens on the Japan sea coast are characterized by abalone, while those in the other regions yield surf clams, oysters, and common brackish-water shellfish such as Corbicula japonica. Along with harpoon heads of the closed socket type that were carried over from the Okhotsk period for large mammal hunting..." (Okada 346). Here we can also see that the Jomon hunted large mammals which are found more inland, away from the coasts. This goes back to the fact that the Jomon had various resources to exploit throughout the year, which is a good reason they never had the need to switch to agriculture.
"Data from Natsushima, Mazukari and other Initial Jomon shell mounds indicate that intensive exploitation of marine shellfish in Honshu go back to ca. 8000-7000 BC. This timing corresponds to the transition from highly mobile generalists of the Incipient Jomon period to more sedentary specialists or collectors of the Early Jomon period" (Habu 25). Through the study of shell mounds, archaeologists can make statements like the one above. The number one hint about subsistence practices comes from faunal remains found in shell mounds. “Faunal remains are rare in most nonshell midden Jomon sites” (Bleed). I believe that if it wasn't for these precious shell mounds, much of what we know today about the Jomon culture, would not be possibly comprehensible without them.
Okada, Atsuko. Maritime Adaptations in Hokkaido. Artic Anthropology 1998 Vol. 35 No. 1 p340-349
Bleed, Peter. Falk, Carl. Bleed, Ann and Matsui, Akira. Between the Mountains and the Sea: Optimal Hunting Patterns and Faunal Remains at Yagi, an early Jomon Community in Southwestern Hokkaido. Artic Anthropology 1989 Vol. 26 No. 2 p107-126.
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