When Were the Earliest Hominin Migrations to the Japanese Islands?

Abstract

In the Japanese islands, no hominin fossil beyond 35 ka has been recovered thus far. Indirect evidence of hominin migration to Honshu before 35 ka is known from only stone artifacts. The earliest stone industries were recovered stratigraphically from two different layers at the Kanedori site in northeast Japan. Both industries are made of hornfels as local raw material. Kanedori IV with large flakes and an irregular biface is dated c. 80 ka by tephrochronology. Kanedori III with small flake tools and a large biface is estimated 67 ka by fission track dating. Such a small flake tool tradition lasted until the appearance of blade technology around 35 ka. The typological and chronological study of Kanedori IV and III suggests that the earliest migration to the Japanese islands was from northeast China.