[Jomon Period Aomori ③] The lives of the Jomon people nurtured by abundant forests and seas... Towards an era with a population of approximately 9,000

The Jomon period began more than 15,000 years before the Ice Age and progressed slowly over about 10,000 years. During this time, there was a significant rise in temperature, which led to the extinction of large mammals, but it was a time when the living environment for humans improved dramatically

Settlement began when buildings were constructed near water sources where food was readily available. It was also during this period that snow fell, the climates of the Sea of ​​Japan and the Pacific Ocean developed, and forests of beech, chestnut, and walnut trees formed

In this paper, we have divided the period according to the official website of the World Heritage Site "Jomon Archaeological Sites in Hokkaido and Tohoku," and have used a periodization that follows the "History of Aomori Prefecture," dividing the Jomon period into phases and further subdividing the middle phase into early, middle, and late phases

The period division into the early, middle, and late stages is as follows:

Jomon period		(The number of years is approximate)
Early period		16,000 to 12,000 years ago
early		12,000 to 7,000 years ago
	early anterior lobe	12,000 to 9,500 years ago
	early middle lobe	9,500 to 8,000 years ago
	Early posterior lobe	8,000 to 7,000 years ago
Early period		7,000 to 5,000 years ago
	prophase anterior lobe	7,000 to 6,300 years ago
	early middle lobe	6,300 to 5,800 years ago
	Early posterior leaves	5,800 to 5,000 years ago
middle period		5,000 to 4,000 years ago
	middle anterior lobe	5,000 to 4,700 years ago
	middle middle lobe	4,700 to 4,300 years ago
	Mid-late stage	4,300 to 4,000 years ago
Late period		4,000 to 3,000 years ago
	late anterior lobe	4,000 to 3,700 years ago
	late middle lobe	3,700 to 3,300 years ago
	late posterior lobe	3,300 to 3,000 years ago
Late stage		3,000 to 2,400 years ago
	Late stage, early lobe	3,000 to 2,900 years ago
	Late to mid-season	2,900 to 2,600 years ago
	Late stage	2,600 to 2,400 years ago

Jomon Period Diagram and Details (Created based on the official website of the World Heritage Site "Jomon Archaeological Sites in Hokkaido and Tohoku"; various theories exist)

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Temperatures have risen by 7°C in 7,000 years. Snow begins to fall in Aomori Prefecture

Around 16,000 years ago, the climate was extremely cold and dry, known as the last glacial period, and it didn't even snow in Aomori Prefecture. However, due to rapid global warming that followed, the temperature rose by about 7°C over the next 7,000 years

As a result, the sea, which was once full of ice, turned into seawater, and a warm ocean current (Tsushima Current) flowed from the south to Aomori Prefecture on the Sea of ​​Japan side. This water vapor was carried by the westerlies during the cold winter months and hit the mountains, causing snow on the Sea of ​​Japan side and dry winds to blow down on the Pacific side, thus establishing the current climate of the Sea of ​​Japan side and the Pacific Ocean side

The vegetation in Aomori Prefecture also changed dramatically. During the Ice Age, it was covered with subarctic coniferous forests of trees such as pines and firs, which are resistant to cold and can survive even with little water, and there were also many grasslands where no trees grew

Subsequent global warming led to a decrease in subarctic coniferous forests, while cool temperate deciduous broad-leaved trees such as birch, which had not grown there before, increased. Around 9,000 years ago, when snow began to fall, trees such as beech, oak, and even chestnut and walnut trees, which bear delicious fruit, began to take hold

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Abundant shellfish, fish, and marine mammals. People settled along the coast

Instead of large mammals, people begin to procure food from smaller animals, as well as fish, shellfish, and even sea lions and other monstrous creatures from the sea and rivers

As a result, their lifestyle shifted from chasing large animals to being able to stay in one place, and their dwellings became sturdy structures that could be permanently inhabited. From around the middle of the Early Jomon period, a new form called a pit dwelling became common

Initially, they ate roasted or dried meat from large mammals, but with the introduction of pottery and the availability of water near bodies of water, they were able to cook by boiling. The number of deciduous broad-leaved trees that bore fruit in the autumn also increased, and by the late Early Jomon period, their diet had become richer

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The early part of the Early Age, when sea levels rose significantly, caused seawater to surge in, forcing people to evacuate to higher ground

The Earth's temperature was highest about 7,000 years ago, during the transition from the Early to the Middle Ages. As a result, ice melted, causing seawater levels to rise and coastlines to advance further inland. This phenomenon is called a transgression, and at its peak, coastlines were several kilometers to 50 kilometers further back than they are today

As the sea level rose, people moved inland, establishing settlements on safe riverbanks or high ground along the coast

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During the early to middle Jomon period, life became stable and the population increased dramatically

As global warming made winters more bearable and food supplies more stable, people's lives began to shift from individual to collective. These settlements were small, consisting of only about 10 to 100 people

At the earliest stage of the period, the total population of the Tohoku region is estimated to have been around 19,000. Applying the current population ratio of the six Tohoku prefectures, the population of Aomori Prefecture at that time would have been around 3,000 to 4,000 (this is an estimate from one study)

Since there were only 3,000 people in the entire Aomori region, they would have had very few opportunities to meet anyone other than their family, and it is thought that their settlements were isolated along the coast or rivers

Over the next 1500 years, climate change made life even more comfortable, and by the middle period, the population continued to grow, reaching around 47,000 in the Tohoku region and 9,000 in Aomori Prefecture, with settlements also becoming larger

Humans also focused on stabilizing their food supply. They used their ingenuity to preserve food for long periods, employing drying techniques like those used for dried fish, smoking to enhance sterilization, and soaking fruits like chestnuts and beech trees in water to remove bitterness and prevent insect infestation. This made life easier, and the population grew

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Select and cultivate chestnut trees that produce large fruits to ensure a stable food supply

The Sannai-Maruyama Site(a nationally designated special historic site, a World Cultural Heritage site, and its excavated artifacts designated as nationally important cultural properties) dates from the early to late Middle Jomon period (approximately 5,900 to 4,200 years ago), but at its peak (approximately 5,100 to 4,800 years ago), it was a very large settlement where more than 500 people lived.

More than 1,000 dwelling remains have been found at the Sannai-Maruyama site, which existed for 1,700 years. However, it is estimated that only about 100 of these dwellings existed at the same time, with a maximum population of 500 people

The area surrounding the settlement was covered in forest, with various broadleaf trees such as beech, chestnut, and walnut

However, the settlement was surrounded only by chestnut and walnut trees. Chestnut trees do not grow in clusters in the wild, and the chestnuts were larger than those found in the forest, leading to the conclusion that they had been transplanted and cultivated by people

The wisdom of selecting chestnut trees that produced large fruits from among many and then propagating them became a great asset bestowed only upon humans

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From the pointed-bottom pottery of the Early Jomon period, cylindrical pottery became the dominant form

In the early stages of the Jomon period, pottery was primarily used for cooking, and therefore most of it was "pointed-bottom pottery," which narrowed towards the bottom to ensure even heat distribution

Later, as people began to settle down and small animals, seafood, and nuts became abundant, the pottery, particularly in northern Tohoku including Aomori, evolved into "cylindrical pottery" with flat bottoms, allowing it to be used not only for cooking but also placed on floors and shelves

This era of "cylindrical pottery" continued for 1400 years

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The Futatsumori Shell Mound, a World Heritage Site, faces the ancient Ogawara Bay, a cove rich in food resources

The Futatsumori Shell Moundis a large-scale settlement and shell mound site that existed from the early to late Middle Jomon period.

It is located 8.6 km northeast of the Shichinohe Town Hall, on a terrace at an altitude of 25-33 meters, approximately 4 km inland from the present-day Lake Ogawara. At that time, the sea level had risen, and what is now Lake Ogawara was an inlet (ancient Ogawara Bay), with the coastline extending all the way to where the ruins are located

Like the Sannai-Maruyama Site, the Futatsumori Shell Mound is one of the constituent sites of the World Cultural Heritage site "Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Hokkaido and Northern Tohoku," and is a nationally designated historic site

Many artifacts have been found at the site, including large shell mounds, dwelling remains, and cylindrical pottery, but most date from the early to late Jomon period, and among them is a prefectural treasure

• Deer antler comb
• Whale bone sword in the shape of a Chinese broadsword
• Antler projectile point
• Boar tusk pendant
• Deer antler fork-shaped product

Excellent bone and antler artifacts have been unearthed from this site

The "Deer Antler Comb" is on display at the Aomori Prefectural Museum (currently closed for an extended period, reopening date undecided), while the "Whale Bone Sword-Shaped Tool," "Deer Antler Pointed Tool," "Boar Ivory Pendant," and "Deer Antler Fork-Shaped Object" are on display at the Futatsumori Shell Mound Museum

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The staple food was the Japanese basket clam (Corbicula japonica), and the Tagoyano shell mound served as a hub for communication between settlements

The Tagoyano Shell Moundis the site of a settlement with a shell mound dating back to the early to mid-Early Jomon period. The shell mound has yielded bones of brackish water fish and shellfish, mainly the Japanese basket clam (Corbicula japonica), as well as bones of small animals such as hares.

The Tagoyano Shell Mound is located on a plateau (in Tsugaru City) about 2 km inland from the coastline near the western base of the Tsugaru Peninsula, at a height of 5 to 10 meters. At the time when the sea level was rising, the sea came right up to the site, and many ponds and marshes still remain there today

The sea in front of them (known as the old Lake Jusan, located considerably south of the current Lake Jusan) was fed by freshwater from the nearby Iwaki River, and it is likely that they had a good supply of Japanese basket clams (Corbicula japonica), which thrive in brackish water. It is thought that these clams were their staple food

The settlement includes pit dwellings, tombs, shell mounds, dumping grounds, and storage pits, exhibiting a typical settlement structure for this period

The shell mounds have yielded a variety of marine life, primarily mollusks such as the Japanese basket clam (Corbicula japonica), which inhabit brackish waters, as well as fish bones from carp and mackerel, and bird bones from geese and ducks

From the dumping grounds, which also served as a site for daily rituals and ceremonies, pottery and stone tools have been unearthed, as well as bone and antler artifacts made from the bones of large mammals such as whales and dolphins. In a pit tomb, the remains of a woman believed to be in her 20s with a history of childbirth were discovered

In particular, the discovery of numerous unfinished shell bracelets made from the Japanese oyster shell (Benkei-gai) revealed that shell bracelet production was taking place within the settlement

Obsidian from Hokkaido was unearthed from the Tagoyano shell mound, and shell bracelets have been found in Hokkaido, indicating that there was trade with Hokkaido, and that shell bracelet making was a viable occupation

The Tagoyano Shell Mound is one of the constituent sites of the World Cultural Heritage site "Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Hokkaido and Northern Tohoku," and is a nationally designated historic site. To the south of the Tagoyano Shell Mound is the Kamegaoka Stone Age Site, dating from the late Jomon period

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Around 7,000 years ago, the Earth's temperature began to drop again, and the population of northern Tohoku declined

Temperatures peaked around 7,000 years ago, marking the beginning of the Middle Jomon period, and then gradually began to decline again. Around 6,000 years ago, in the middle of the Middle Jomon period, the coastline began to recede (sea regression). Living conditions in northern Tohoku worsened, and people migrated south. Bustling settlements such as the Sannai-Maruyama site shrank rapidly and disappeared by the end of the Middle Jomon period, around 4,200 years ago

It is said that temperatures are still falling, and the coastline was roughly the same as it is today about 2000 years ago (in reality, the Earth's temperature is actually continuing to rise due to environmental destruction and other factors. It's a worrying situation)

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