Revelations in Japanese Archaeology : Paleolithic Come-back, Island Interactions, Classical Writings

Revelations in Japanese Archaeology presents a selection of articles from the BSEAA (Bulletin of the Society for East Asian Archaeology). All articles represent important research questions that have retained their relevance to the present day. Many have been updated for inclusion in this volume. Especially important are the chapters on the Japanese Paleolithic, with data presented in Part I to counter the devastating impact of the ‘Paleolithic Hoax’ uncovered in 2000. These are crucial to re-evaluating the peopling of the Japanese Islands in the Pleistocene and the relationships with continental finds. Part II focuses on the protohistoric periods of Yayoi and Kofun in Japan, with an additional perspective on adjacent regions and intercultural relations in the macro-region during the Iron Age. Unlike mainstream treatments, these articles tend to deal with peripheral regions that are important as cultural transmitters between islands and between island and mainland. They provide different perspectives on the development of dominant subsistence practices and centralized societies. Part III returns to the beginnings of Japanese archaeology, with a history as deep as that in Britain, by elucidating the work of Edward S. Morse.

The editors are leaders in the field of Japanese Archaeology, covering periods from the Palaeolithic (Ikawa-Smith), Yayoi (Seyock), and Kofun (Barnes). They have been seminal in the development of the Society for East Asian Archaeology (SEAA), which aims at the dissemination of research in East Asian languages to the English-speaking world. The Society was founded by Barnes, who served together with Ikawa-Smith as Presidents, while Seyock initiated the Bulletin of Society for East Asian Archaeology (BSEAA) and served as Editor. Ikawa-Smith and Barnes are both Professor Emeritae after long careers teaching at their respective universities, while Seyock is an Independent Researcher who has worked closely with archaeologists in Japan throughout her career.