The Incipient Jomon sub-period

    One interesting facet of Japanese archaeology, is that, while agriculture and metal technology reached the archipelago rather late, pottery technology was developed quite early in the archipelago.  The  Odai-Yamamoto site has yielded 46 pottery sherds that have been dated by the radiocarbon method to 16,500 BC (NUTA-6510) to14,920 BC (NUTA-6506).  The sherds are believed to be from a single vessel and have only a few incised lines for decoration.  Other sites with Incipient Jomon pottery that are radiocarbon dated are Fukui Cave near Nagasaki and Senpukuji Cave in Kyushu.  

    Interestingly, a variety of styles appear in this early pottery.  As noted above, the Omadai-Yamato site has plain pottery (mumon) occurring there.  The stone tool assemblage associated with it contains axes with polished stone edges, stone drills, arrow heads and arrow shaft smoothers.  The stone tool assemblage has parallels to that in eastern Siberia.

    In Kyushu and western Japan, two types of pottery appear with a microblade lithic technology.  The lithic technology is very similar to the Late Palaeolithic stone tool assemblage found throughout Japan.  The Fukui and Senpukuji cave sites yielded pottery with bean applique design (toryumon) in their oldest Incipient Jomon layers.  This type was followed by a linear applique (ryukisenmon) decorated pottery. These types are followed by pottery with finger-nail like impressions (tsumegatamon) for decoration. 

    By the end of the Incipient Jomon sub-period, a fifth type of pottery (oatsu),  is found throughout the Japanese archipelago.  It has cord marking all over its surface.  Whereas the earlier types had a pointed or rounded base, this type had a flat base and a thick rim.

    It must be stressed, that while pottery is found at this time in Japan, it is not a well developed technology for most of the Incipient Jomon.  It is usually very fragmentary and was poorly fired.  There is not a lot of it at most of the Incipient Jomon sites; it is actually quite rare.  The invention of pottery is believed to have opened up new food resources for the Jomon people--now they could boil and eat starchy tubers and other plants.  

    Other than than pottery, the Incipient Jomon sub-period retains many features from the Late Palaeolithic culture of Japan.  A micro-blade technology exists in Kyushu and parts of Honshu, broad spectrum hunting is the main source of food, and most open sites are indicative of short-term occupation.  Many sites are in caves.