Jomon archaeology and the representation of Japanese origins

Abstract

Since 1992, on-going excavations of the Early to Middle Jomon period Sannai Maruyama site (3500-2000 BC) have uncovered the large size and complexity of this prehistoric hunter-gatherer settlement. Sannai Maruyama, furthermore, has become the first Jomon site in Japan to attract the attention of not only archaeologists, but also the media and the public. This paper argues that Sannai Maruyama's popularity is due to 1 the recent increased visibility of Jomon archaeology, 2 the dissemination of excavation results by site archaeologists, 3 the pride of local people in the site, 4 the use of archaeology by the local government to promote tourism, and 5 links drawn by Japanese intellectuals between modern Japanese and their supposed Jomon ancestors.