Exploring Prehistoric Pottery in Japan

Jōmon pottery is globally renowned for its lavish ornamentation and functional beauty. Beyond its aesthetic value, this pottery serves as a crucial archaeological archive, preserving microscopic traces of prehistoric life. Recent interdisciplinary research reveals that cultivated plants, household pests, and plant-based tempering agents left distinct imprints and voids within the clay fabric. Furthermore, impressions of woven mats and fishing nets provide direct evidence of the tools and materials used in vessel construction. Organic substances and carbonised residues absorbed by the pottery during usage enable the identification of ancient foodstuffs and medicinal plants, while also providing materials for precise radiocarbon dating, alongside carbonised inclusions. Collaboratively termed ‘excavating inside the pottery’, this scientific approach reconstructs past lifeways through artefactual analysis. This volume presents the theoretical framework of this methodology, along with illustrative, empirical case studies from Jōmon and Yayoi pottery.