d. Armenia

II. Ancient and Classical Periods, 3500 B.C.E.–500 C.E.> C. Early Civilizations and Classical Empires of South and East Asia> 7. Japan, to 527 C.E.> d. Early Civilization

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  The Encyclopedia of World History.  2001.

d. Early Civilization
Archaeological evidence indicates that in the Palaeolithic era the Japanese were hunters and gatherers and used some stone implements. The Jmon (“cord script”) era (c. 10,500–300 B.C.E.), with various subdivisions, acquired its name from the designs on unearthed pottery datable to 10,000 B.C.E. The Jmon people hunted, fished, and ate vegetables. They lived in sunken pit dwellings and perhaps in villages. Rice only began to be planted in Kysh late in the Jmon era. Archaeologists have uncovered Jmon sites from Hokkaid all the way south to the Ryky chain. Jmon pot designs indicate magical religious beliefs and a variety of cults. Unearthed earrings and ornaments are similar to those discovered in Korea.	1

The Encyclopedia of World History, Sixth edition. Peter N. Stearns, general editor. Copyright © 2001 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Maps by Mary Reilly, copyright 2001 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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