Man Plant Relationships in the Jomon Period and the Emergence of Food Production

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  • 縄文時代の人間 植物関係 : 食料生産の出現過程
  • ジョウモン ジダイ ノ ニンゲン ショクブツ カンケイ ショクリョウ セイサン

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Among the several kinds of nuts used for foods during theJomon Period chestnuts (Castanea crenata) and walnuts (Juglancemandshurica)w ere the most important. However, being sun plantsthey are rare in primary forests.Several researchers analyzed charred wood from 12 sites,ranging in age from the Earliest to the Late Jomon Periods, andfound charred chestnut wood in all sites and charred walnut woodin 2 sites. In addition, at the Torihama site the Early Jomonsediment contained seeds of many sun plants, whereas the Earliestsediment contained few. This seems to suggest a difference in theresidential style between the two periods; temporary gatheringcamps in the Earliest Jomon vs. sedentary villages in the EarlyJomon. Inhabitants of the sedentary villages seem to have exploitednearby primary forests, converting them secondary forest,which should have provided suitable habitats for chestnuts andwalnuts. This seems to have been the most likely first step towardintentional food production by man. Speculating thus, it is suggestedhere that intentional nut cultivation emerged in the CentralHonshu highland region during the Middle Jomon Period.

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