Initial colonization, and subsistence adaptation processes in the late prehistory of the island of Okinawa

Takamiya, Hiroto

doi:10.7152/bippa.v15i0.11543

Cited by 20 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…Although the density of the archeological remains varies, there are no noticeable changes in their compositions within the excavated sequence. Therefore, contrary to the previous predictions (13,14), the Paleolithic people of Okinawa probably had sustained their life on this small, resourcepoor island for about 25,000 y or more until Neolithic components first appeared at c. 10,000 cal BP. Alternatively, if the occupational record actually was truncated by short hiatuses, this would imply recurrent colonization by maritime people of similar subsistence strategies.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 48%

“…and wild boars (Sus scrofa) (12). This situation led some researchers to hypothesize that Okinawa and the other islands of the Ryukyus were too small for sustained occupation by Paleolithic people (13,14). Indeed, clear evidence of human material culture in the Ryukyu Archipelago predating 10,000 cal BP has so far been scant, echoing the general "problem" with early modern human sites in southeastern Asia: the paucity of material evidence for innovative or modern behavior such as advanced lithic technology and personal ornaments (15)(16)(17)(18).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Advanced maritime adaptation in the western Pacific coastal region extends back to 35,000–30,000 years before present

Fujita

Yamasaki

Katagiri

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Maritime adaptation was one of the essential factors that enabled modern humans to disperse all over the world. However, geographic distribution of early maritime technology during the Late Pleistocene remains unclear. At this time, the Indonesian Archipelago and eastern New Guinea stand as the sole, well-recognized area for secure Pleistocene evidence of repeated ocean crossings and advanced fishing technology. The incomplete archeological records also make it difficult to know whether modern humans could sustain their life on a resource-poor, small oceanic island for extended periods with Paleolithic technology. We here report evidence from a limestone cave site on Okinawa Island, Japan, of successive occupation that extends back to 35,000−30,000 y ago. Well-stratified strata at the Sakitari Cave site yielded a rich assemblage of seashell artifacts, including formally shaped tools, beads, and the world’s oldest fishhooks. These are accompanied by seasonally exploited food residue. The persistent occupation on this relatively small, geographically isolated island, as well as the appearance of Paleolithic sites on nearby islands by 30,000 y ago, suggest wider distribution of successful maritime adaptations than previously recognized, spanning the lower to midlatitude areas in the western Pacific coastal region.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 48%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced maritime adaptation in the western Pacific coastal region extends back to 35,000–30,000 years before present

Fujita

Yamasaki

Katagiri

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…Hanihara, 1991) considered Minatogawa as broadly representative of, or having affinities with, populations ancestral to the Holocene Jomon. However, both genetic and paleolithic evidence suggests a contradictory continental northeastern source of the Jomon (Sagawa, 1995;Takamiya, 1996;Omoto and Saitou, 1997;Adachi et al, 2009;Hanihara and Ishida, 2009). Some have cautioned against a direct Minatogawa to Jomon relationship, particularly in Okinawa Island (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative analysis of the glabellar region morphology of the late Pleistocene Minatogawa crania: a three-dimensional approach

Saso

Matsukawa

Suwa

2011

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The Late Pleistocene human fossils recovered from the Minatogawa fissure in Okinawa Island are important in understanding the population history of the Japan archipelago. Based on highresolution laser scanning, we conducted a three-dimensional (3-D) topographic evaluation of the glabellar and superciliary regions of the Minatogawa and Jomon crania. We aimed to address the question of whether the glabellar morphology of the Minatogawa crania can be seen as a possible ancestral condition of the Jomon people, or whether it more likely represents a distinct morphological pattern. In addition to comparative descriptions and evaluations of the visualized topography, we conducted principal components and cluster analyses using a data set of approximately 240 points located within a confined glabellofrontal area. Results indicate that the male Minatogawa I exhibits a distinct rhomboid to ovoid glabellosuperciliary prominence, in the form of an undifferentiated swollen structure that encompasses both glabellar and superciliary arch regions. Unlike the Jomon condition, this leads to a lack of concave inferolateral contour of the prominence and the virtually complete obliteration of bilateral superciliary expression. The Minatogawa II and IV female crania also exhibit the same morphological pattern at weaker levels. On the other hand, absolute glabellar projection of Minatogawa I is not as great as the developed Jomon examples. This indicates that it is the pattern that is distinctive of Minatogawa, rather than glabellar prominence itself.

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“…Takamiya, 1996), and we are still far from answering the question of the emergence and formation of the Jomon people in the Japanese archipelago. Extensive and intensive morphological reexaminations and more discussions on the pertinent human specimens such as MMS, UMS, Yamashitacho Cave I, and also Hamakita remains, as well as the establishment of the chronometric age of fossils especially from the Minatogawa Fissure and the Yamashita-cho Cave I sites, are essential to clarify the relationships between Late Pleistocene populations and the Jomon people.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relative chronology of the Minatogawa and the Upper Minatogawa series of human remains from Okinawa Island, Japan

Matsu’ura

Kondo

2011

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A series of human fossils, the so-called 'Minatogawa Man' material, unearthed from the fissure site at the Minatogawa limestone quarry on Okinawa Island, is well known as the best preserved Pleistocene human remains in Japan. Another series of 'Upper Minatogawa' human remains was also recovered from the same fissure site. Although the Upper Minatogawa series was supposed to be derived from higher horizons than the Minatogawa series, and this supposition was provisionally supported by the fluorine dating of bones, the chronological and/or stratigraphical relationships of individual human specimens have nevertheless not been clarified. Here we report newly obtained data on the relative chronology of the Minatogawa and the Upper Minatogawa series by additional element analyses (strontium and barium) of bones, and draw the following inferences: (1) the Upper Minatogawa human remains are younger than the Minatogawa human remains (i.e. 'Minatogawa Man') as a group; (2) however, a wider age range is implied for the 'Minatogawa Man' series, and some of the specimens such as Minatogawa IV and maybe Minatogawa II are comparable in age to the Upper Minatogawa series. Thus, the 'Minatogawa Man' series may not comprise a single chronological group, although they may be of one morphological group. We also discuss the geological age of the Minatogawa fossil assemblages, and address preliminary palaeoanthropological implications concerning the population history of the Japanese archipelago in the Late Pleistocene.

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Initial colonization, and subsistence adaptation processes in the late prehistory of the island of Okinawa

Cited by 20 publications

References 0 publications

Advanced maritime adaptation in the western Pacific coastal region extends back to 35,000–30,000 years before present

Advanced maritime adaptation in the western Pacific coastal region extends back to 35,000–30,000 years before present

Comparative analysis of the glabellar region morphology of the late Pleistocene Minatogawa crania: a three-dimensional approach

Relative chronology of the Minatogawa and the Upper Minatogawa series of human remains from Okinawa Island, Japan

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