Permanent Settlements and the Creation of Pottery
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Deep Pot, Found at Orimoto Shell Mound, Kanagawa, Jōmon period, 4,000–3,000 BC (Gift of Ms. Noguchi Kane)
Japanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Japanese Archaeology Gallery
March 3, 2020 (Tue) - September 6, 2020 (Sun)Rising sea levels formed the Japanese islands when the ice age ended about 13,000 years ago. In response to their changing environment, people began using the bow and arrow for hunting, invented pottery, and began living in permanent settlements. This was the beginning of Japan’s Neolithic era, which lasted for approximately 10,000 years. Although farming and the rearing of livestock usually began during this era in other societies, life in Japan continued to be centered on foraging, fishing, and hunting.
Pottery from this era was decorated with patterns made by impressing cords into the clay before firing, and is named Jomon (cord-marked) pottery. Japan’s Neolithic era is called the Jomon period in reference to this distinctive pottery. The invention of pottery for cooking extended the range of edible foods, made certain foods more digestible, and helped to eliminate harmful bacteria. Jomon pottery was also used for ceremonies and burial rites, playing an important role in culture and society.
This section shows how pottery changed and increased in variety during the Jomon period. Deep bowls for cooking were the earliest vessels, with shallow bowls for serving food appearing later, followed by pots and spouted vessel for storage.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Deep Bowls | Excavated at Hanamiyama Site, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa | Jomon period, 11000-7000 BC | Lent by the Yokohama City Board of Education, Kanagawa | |||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Deep Bowl | Excavated at Natsushima Shell Mound, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa | Jomon period, 7000-4000 BC | Lent by the Meiji University Museum, Tokyo | ||
| Highlight | Deep Pot | Found at Orimoto Shell Mound, Kanagawa | Jōmon period, 4,000-3,000 BC | Gift of Ms. Noguchi Kane J-37524 | |||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Deep Bowls | Excavated at Habitation Site 1, Takikubo Site, Kokubunji-shi, Tokyo | Jomon period, 3000-2000 BC | Lent by Musashi Kokubunji, Tokyo | ||
| Highlight | Spouted Vessel | Found in Yokohama City, Kanagawa | Jōmon period, 2,000–1,000 BC | Gift of Mr. Iketani Kenji J-36907 | |||
| Highlight | Vessel in the Shape of an Incense Burner | Found in Karumai Town, Iwate | Jōmon period, 1,000–400 BC | J-38403 |