Settlement, Growth, and Decline in Complex Hunter-Gatherer Societies: A Case Study from the Jomon Period Sannai Maruyama Site

Settlement, Growth, and Decline in Complex Hunter-Gatherer Societies: A Case Study from the Jomon Period Sannai Maruyama Site

Junko Habu - Associate Professor of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, University of California- Berkeley

Thursday, October 5, 2006 - 4:30pm to 6:00pm
Room 1, Department of Anthropology See map
51 Hillhouse Avenue
New Haven, CT 6511

Among prehistoric archaeologists, the Jomon culture (ca. 14,000 -500 BC) of the Japanese archipelago has been cited as an example of so-called “affluent” or “complex” hunter-gatherer cultures. In particular, the Middle Jomon culture (ca. 3000-2000 BC) in Eastern Japan is known for the presence of large settlements, large shell-middens, sophistication of material culture and long-distance trade. Focusing on archaeological data from the Sannai Maruyama site (the Early-Middle Jomon periods), this presentation demonstrates how the rich Jomon data can contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms of long-term cultural change.

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Japan