JAPANESE PREHISTORY

RELIGION IN PREHISTORIC JAPAN: THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD
Although the earliest surviving historical documents in Japan date back only to the early 8^th century of the Christian Era, the history of Japanese religion and culture precedes that date by many thousands of years. In the absence of historical documents, scholars are able to gain some insights into the religious beliefs and practices of the prehistoric Japanese from the artifacts unearthed by archaeologists, as well as from the historical records of the Chinese (see, for example, the account of Wa recorded in the History of the Kingdom of Wei). Japanese historians generally divide the prehistoric period into three periods: the Jomon, Yayoi and Kofun. During the Jomon period (c. 10,000 BCE - c. 300 BCE), the people of the Japanese archipelago were primarily hunters and gatherers. The Yayoi period (c. 300 BCE - c. 300 CE) was characterized by the development of rice agriculture and metal-working, technologies likely borrowed from the Korean peninsula. Imports of Korean manufacture also begin to appear in profusion among the grave goods from this time. Comparable with the history of other civilizations, the development of intensive agriculture was closely linked with increasing social stratification. The Kofun period (c. 300 - 710 CE) was characterized by the gradual centralization of authority, especially in Western Japan. It was during this period that the Imperial house worked to distinguish itself from the other powerful families, in large part through the introduction of Chinese-style political, cultural and religious institutions. While no historical documents survive from this period, evidence suggests that they were composed, providing the primary sources for the histories of the eight century. For this reason, it may be appropriate to distinguish the prehistorical Jomon and Yayoi periods from the protohistorical Kofun period. Consider the archaeological evidence presented below. How do they correspond with the Chinese historical records? What can you deduce about the possible uses of these objects? (Note: Many objects can be enlarged by clicking on the image)
ARTIFACTS FROM THE JOMON PERIOD
The Jomon period is named for the characteristic rope-pattern that decorates the pottery of this period, vessels that are often strikingly ornate (right). Of equal interest to historians of religion are those stylized clay figurines known as dogu (below). The figures have often been attributed religious significance, although the fact that they were typically excavated in pieces from trash heaps may suggest something other than straightforward worship. A significant number of dogu excavated by archaeologists appear to be female figures, with notable breasts and hips.		Cleveland Museum of Art	Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art	Tokyo National Museum	Suntory Museum

THE KOFUN PERIOD
The Kofun period takes its name from the thousands of burial mounds erected during the period. The largest of these is the keyhole-shaped Daisen mound, understood to be the tomb of Emperor Nintoku (c. 5th century CE). At nearly 1600 feet long, 90 feet high, and surrounded by three moats, it likely required a considerable number of people an equally considerable length of time to erect The burial mounds of the Kofun period have been linked to earlier Japanese evidence of hillside or mountain burials, as well as to similar practices on the Korean mainland.
		Set into these earthen mounds were burial chambers, filled with sarcophagi and a variety of grave goods, including not only arms, but decorative ceramics (like the one to the left, modeled with small animals at its neck). Elaborate bronze mirrors, derived from continental styles that began to be imported in the Yayoi period, were also frequently interred with the dead (the balls around the rim of the mirror at left functioned as rattles). British Museum. What assumptions might you be able to infer from the inclusion of such goods within these graves?
By far the most striking objects to be placed at kofun, however, are haniwa, 3- to 5-foot high ceramic cylinders embedded in the exterior slope of burial mounds or surrounding burial chambers. Like tiles on a roof, these cylinders seemed to have provided structural support for the earthen mound, but the diverse decorative forms seem to address more than simple structural concerns.
Some, like those at right, took the form of various material goods.	Haniwa in the form of a house (Tokyo National Museum)	Horse with saddle (Cleveland Museum of Art)	Boat-shaped haniwa (National Museum of Japanese History)
Much more common are human figures. Later Japanese sources suggested that these ceramic forms were used to replace human sacrifices offered at the grave of clan chieftains. Archaeologists, however, have found no sign of such practices, requiring different interpretations for these large figures. A recurring motif in haniwa are armed warriors. These human-shaped haniwa tend to be quite large, usually in excess of 4 feet in height. What can you infer from the prevalence of this motif among haniwa?	Gumma Prefectural Museum of Art History	Tokyo National Museum	Kyoto National Museum
Human-shaped haniwa are not entirely limited to warriors, however, and a range of other figures can be found, giving an interesting portrayal of contemporary figures.	Tokyo National Museum	Tokyo National Museum

Department of Religious Studies \| School of Arts and Sciences SXU Home Page \| Webmaster 3700 West 103rd Street s Chicago, Illinois 60655 773-298-3000 Prepared for RELST 299: Religious Traditions of East Asia By Michael Bathgate Last Updated: 1/7/04