Institute of East Asian Studies <- Back The Ancient Jomon and
the Pacific Rim University of California-Berkeley "Jomon" is the
name of a prehistoric culture and period on the Japanese
archipelago. Dating from about 16,000 to 2500 years ago, the
Jomon culture is known for its artistic pottery, large
settlements and complex ritual sites such as stone circles.
Unlike most prehistoric pottery-using peoples in other parts of
the world, the people of the Jomon period are thought to have
been hunter-gatherer-fishers. It is also known that
characteristics of the Jomon culture changed significantly
through time, and between regions. By examining such temporal
and regional variability, Jomon archaeology can contribute to
understanding the Japanese past and the mechanisms of long-term
culture change in human history.