Transition from Jōmon to Yayoi
The Yayoi period is one of Japan’s oldest eras and ranges from 300 BCE to 300 CE. However, the start of the Yayoi period is in question as some radio-carbon dating pushes the start of the period back 500 years. This has led some historians to suggest that the end of Jōmon period should be changed and to have the Yayoi period start somewhere around 1000 or 800 BCE. The Yayoi people were present in the final Jōmon period, but until now this has been regarded as a transition to the Yayoi period.
Yayoi was given its name from the district in Tokyo where the first artifacts of the period were found in 1884. The culture first came about on the island of Kyushu during the end of the Jōmon period. It then spread eastward, replacing the Jōmon culture as they went up the main island of Honshu (Japan’s largest island).
There is a noticeable difference between the skeletons of Jōmon people compared to the Yayoi people. The Yayoi people were taller with more narrow faces, closer together eyes, and flatter brow ridges. The Japanese of today are very closely related to the Yayoi people and only have a small amount of influence from the Jōmon.
Technology and Agricultural Advances
The Yayoi period contrasts mostly from the Jōmon period in its transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to one of farming and agriculture. Along with agriculture came a settled lifestyle of living in small villages. The pottery was simple and practical, it still had a similar style to the Jōmon’s, but was less decorative. Yayoi pottery was fired at a higher temperature than the Jōmon pottery and wheels were used to turn the pottery for shaping. Bronze and iron tools have been found that were developed for farming wet rice. Along with farming tools, bronze ceremonial bells, weapons, and mirrors were crafted. The switch to iron tools took place in the 1st century CE. Bronze tools are believed to have come from China. Mark Hudson, a British Archaeologist, points to evidence that things like irons tools, weaving, bounded paddy fields and domesticated pigs are influences that came from Korea.
Contact with China and the People of Wo
Contact with China played an important part in shaping the Yayoi culture. The Han Shu is a book finished in 82 CE containing the History of the Han dynasty in China and is the first time Japan is mentioned in Chinese records. Early mentions of Japan referred to the Japanese as “Wo”. There was a golden seal gifted to the “King of Wo” by the Emperor of Han in 57 CE. Later records from the 3rd century refer to Japan as the “Wa” people and described them as living off of raw fish, rice and vegetables. They also described some behaviors like having vassal-master relations and collecting taxes. The book depicts a society involved in many violent struggles.
Wei Shi, a record written later in 297 CE, describes the clan of Yamato and its Queen Himiko. After Himiko sent delegates to China in 238 CE, China recognized the sovereignty of her kingdom and called her the Queen of Japan – even though she was only the ruler of the most powerful clan in Japan.
New Class System
Unlike the Jōmon, the Yayoi people were a class-based society composed of clans. There were almost 100 different clans by 100 CE. These clans were constantly fighting one another for dominance, occasionally forming alliances for mutual military and economic benefits.
With the creation of clans, other new societal improvements emerged – such as taxes and punishment systems for breaking rules. In their class-based system, high status men could have multiple wives. Lower ranked men were expected to step off the side of the road to allow higher ranked men to pass. Higher and lower class citizens were buried separately. The lower class graves were closer together and less decorated compared to a grave of someone with more social status.
Beliefs
The Yayoi worshipped various kami (gods), and held festivals to honor them. The most important kami were Agricultural ones as that was the basis of their society. The leaders of the clans were integral in the worship of their kami since survival was dependent on good harvests. Kami from each clan began to be known as ujigami or clan-gods/local deity.
References:
http://factsanddetails.com/japan/cat16/sub105/entry-5286.html
