On the beginning of the Japanese Upper Paleolithic: A review of recent archaeological and anthropological evidence

doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2022.0043

Abstract

Abstract:

The beginning of the Japanese Upper Paleolithic has mainly been examined using two major models: the Middle Paleolithic evolutionary model within the archipelago and the continental Upper Paleolithic diffusion/migration model. However, recent archeological data from Japan and nearby countries are challenging such simple models. This paper critically reviews previous chronology of the Japanese Paleolithic, including possible Lower and Middle Paleolithic (LP/MP), and attempts to show an alternative model of the beginning of the Japanese Upper Paleolithic. This paper suggests several possible specimens of LP/MP and recommends further geoarchaeological investigation to understand the reliability and cultural relationship between possible LP/MP specimens and the Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP). The start of the Japanese EUP is presently characterized by a flake industry with trapezoids and denticulates around 39-37 kaBP cal on Paleo-Honshu Island, which has partial resemblance with contemporary assemblages in China and the Korean Peninsula, although trapezoids are endemic only to the Japanese EUP and may have derived from the ancestral lithic tradition. Blade technology appeared earliest on Central Paleo-Honshu Island, about 1000 years later than the earliest flake technology. Although blade technology may have originated from the elongated flake technology of the previous period, the sudden simultaneous emergence implies that it diffused from the Korean Peninsula. This paper proposes that blade technology from the Korean Peninsula arrived on the northeastern Paleo-Honshu Island, including the Japan Sea coastal region of western Honshu, rather than the southwest, where flake technology long prospered, due to differences in ecological settings and adaptation strategies between the two regions.

Key words: Japanese Archipelago, Early Upper Paleolithic, migration route, trapezoid, denticulate, blade technology

CLC Number:

K871.11

Hiroyuki SATO, Kazuki MORISAKI. On the beginning of the Japanese Upper Paleolithic: A review of recent archaeological and anthropological evidence[J]. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 2024, 43(03): 470-487.

Figures/Tables 7

References 76

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Site	Chronology	Research method	Estimated age (ka)	Geochronology and radiometric date	Location
Kaseizawa	LP	construction	>200?		Fig.1-1
Sunabara cl.1	early MP	excavation	120	paleo-soil (MIS5e)	Fig.1-2
Sunabara cl.2	early MP	excavation	110	SK* (110ka); (MIS5d)
Iriguchi layer 4	early MP	excavation	100	103±23ka (IRSL)	Fig.1-3
Iriguchi layer 3b	early MP	excavation	100-85	90±11ka (IRSL); L.3: Aso-4* (85-90ka)
Kanedori cl.4	early MP	excavation	90-50	Aso-4; 56±21ka (TL)	Fig.1-4
Kashiyamatate layer 4a	early MP	excavation	90-40	Aso-4	Fig.1-5
Ushiromuta cl.5	early MP	excavation	90-60	Aso-4; A-IW (60ka); 35.5±4 (TL)	Fig.1-6
Sozudai	early MP	excavation	110-80(50)	Kj-P1(50ka); K-Tz(95ka); Kj-Sm(110ka)	Fig.1-7
Fujiyama	Late MP	surface collection	55->50	just before Ag-UP (unknown), but after DKP (55ka)	Fig.1-8
Kiribara	Late MP	surface collection	55-50	between Ag-UP/Hr-HP (50ka)	Fig.1-9
Gongenyama 1	Late MP	surface collection	55-50	between Ag-UP/Hr-HP	Fig.1-10
Kanedori cl.3	Late MP	excavation	50-(40)	46,480±710 Cyr BP (AMS); 31±6ka, 50±10ka(TL)	Fig.1-4
Kashiyamatate layer 2c	Late MP	excavation	50-33	involution	Fig.1-5
Ono lowest	Late MP	excavation	70-55	69.3±13.9 (OSL)	Fig.1-11
Hoshino Tankenkan	MP-UP	surface collection	>45	before Ag-KP (45ka)	Fig.1-12
Gongenyama 2	MP-UP	surface collection	50-45	between Hr-HP/Ag-KP	Fig.1-10
Ushiromuta cl.4	MP-UP	excavation	45-40	just before Kr-Iw (40ka)	Fig.1-6
Nutabura cl.1	MP-UP	excavation	50-40	techno-typology; before AT(30ka)	Fig.1-13
Takesa-Nakahara A-C	MP-UP	excavation	50-40	techno-typology; before AT(30ka)	Fig.1-14
Kamishitada cl.2	MP-UP	excavation	50-40	techno-typology	Fig.1-15
Rubenosawa	MP	excavation	?	techno-typology	Fig.1-16

Site	Chronology	Research method	Estimated age (ka)	Geochronology and radiometric date	Location
Kaseizawa	LP	construction	>200?		Fig.1-1
Sunabara cl.1	early MP	excavation	120	paleo-soil (MIS5e)	Fig.1-2
Sunabara cl.2	early MP	excavation	110	SK* (110ka); (MIS5d)
Iriguchi layer 4	early MP	excavation	100	103±23ka (IRSL)	Fig.1-3
Iriguchi layer 3b	early MP	excavation	100-85	90±11ka (IRSL); L.3: Aso-4* (85-90ka)
Kanedori cl.4	early MP	excavation	90-50	Aso-4; 56±21ka (TL)	Fig.1-4
Kashiyamatate layer 4a	early MP	excavation	90-40	Aso-4	Fig.1-5
Ushiromuta cl.5	early MP	excavation	90-60	Aso-4; A-IW (60ka); 35.5±4 (TL)	Fig.1-6
Sozudai	early MP	excavation	110-80(50)	Kj-P1(50ka); K-Tz(95ka); Kj-Sm(110ka)	Fig.1-7
Fujiyama	Late MP	surface collection	55->50	just before Ag-UP (unknown), but after DKP (55ka)	Fig.1-8
Kiribara	Late MP	surface collection	55-50	between Ag-UP/Hr-HP (50ka)	Fig.1-9
Gongenyama 1	Late MP	surface collection	55-50	between Ag-UP/Hr-HP	Fig.1-10
Kanedori cl.3	Late MP	excavation	50-(40)	46,480±710 Cyr BP (AMS); 31±6ka, 50±10ka(TL)	Fig.1-4
Kashiyamatate layer 2c	Late MP	excavation	50-33	involution	Fig.1-5
Ono lowest	Late MP	excavation	70-55	69.3±13.9 (OSL)	Fig.1-11
Hoshino Tankenkan	MP-UP	surface collection	>45	before Ag-KP (45ka)	Fig.1-12
Gongenyama 2	MP-UP	surface collection	50-45	between Hr-HP/Ag-KP	Fig.1-10
Ushiromuta cl.4	MP-UP	excavation	45-40	just before Kr-Iw (40ka)	Fig.1-6
Nutabura cl.1	MP-UP	excavation	50-40	techno-typology; before AT(30ka)	Fig.1-13
Takesa-Nakahara A-C	MP-UP	excavation	50-40	techno-typology; before AT(30ka)	Fig.1-14
Kamishitada cl.2	MP-UP	excavation	50-40	techno-typology	Fig.1-15
Rubenosawa	MP	excavation	?	techno-typology	Fig.1-16

Site	Lab-code	Method	Sample	¹⁴C age (BP)	δ¹³C	calibrated age (2σ), IntCal20		calibrated age (2σ), IntCal13
Ishinomoto	TKA-20818	AMS	charcoal	33170±130	-26.4	38,579	37,140	38,031	36,731
Ishinomoto	TKA-20819	AMS	charcoal	33180±130	-25.2	38,604	37,153	38,050	36,746
Ishinomoto	TKA-20820	AMS	charcoal	32980±130	-25.4	38,110	36,949	37,672	36,488
Ishinomoto	TKA-20821	AMS	charcoal	33370±140	-25.6	38,986	37,540	38,316	37,015
Ishinomoto	TKA-20822	AMS	charcoal	32910±130	-26.0	37,691	36,894	37,550	36,415
Ishinomoto	TKA-20823	AMS	charcoal	32840±150	-26.7	37,655	36,769	37,489	36,332
Ishinomoto	TKA-20824	AMS	charcoal	32830±130	-25.8	37,601	36,845	37,409	36,344
Ishinomoto	TKA-20825	AMS	charcoal	33260±140	-25.0	38,864	37,318	38,193	36,851
Idemaruyama	IAAA-63173	AMS	charcoal	33230±190	-25.7	38,916	37,180	38,241	36,733
Idemaruyama	IAAA-63172	AMS	charcoal	33180±180	-26.0	38,802	37,104	38,162	36,673
Idemaruyama	IAAA-63171	AMS	charcoal	33040±190	-22.7	38,544	36,936	37,956	36,469
Idemaruyama	IAAA-63170	AMS	charcoal	32920±200	-25.6	38,317	36,747	37,783	36,342
Idemaruyama	IAAA-63174	AMS	charcoal	32770±170	-23.1	37,615	36,624	37,437	36,250
Idemaruyama	IAAA-63169	AMS	charcoal	32720±190	-23.7	37,599	36,523	37,429	36,180

Site	Lab-code	Method	Sample	¹⁴C age (BP)	δ¹³C	calibrated age (2σ), IntCal20		calibrated age (2σ), IntCal13
Ishinomoto	TKA-20818	AMS	charcoal	33170±130	-26.4	38,579	37,140	38,031	36,731
Ishinomoto	TKA-20819	AMS	charcoal	33180±130	-25.2	38,604	37,153	38,050	36,746
Ishinomoto	TKA-20820	AMS	charcoal	32980±130	-25.4	38,110	36,949	37,672	36,488
Ishinomoto	TKA-20821	AMS	charcoal	33370±140	-25.6	38,986	37,540	38,316	37,015
Ishinomoto	TKA-20822	AMS	charcoal	32910±130	-26.0	37,691	36,894	37,550	36,415
Ishinomoto	TKA-20823	AMS	charcoal	32840±150	-26.7	37,655	36,769	37,489	36,332
Ishinomoto	TKA-20824	AMS	charcoal	32830±130	-25.8	37,601	36,845	37,409	36,344
Ishinomoto	TKA-20825	AMS	charcoal	33260±140	-25.0	38,864	37,318	38,193	36,851
Idemaruyama	IAAA-63173	AMS	charcoal	33230±190	-25.7	38,916	37,180	38,241	36,733
Idemaruyama	IAAA-63172	AMS	charcoal	33180±180	-26.0	38,802	37,104	38,162	36,673
Idemaruyama	IAAA-63171	AMS	charcoal	33040±190	-22.7	38,544	36,936	37,956	36,469
Idemaruyama	IAAA-63170	AMS	charcoal	32920±200	-25.6	38,317	36,747	37,783	36,342
Idemaruyama	IAAA-63174	AMS	charcoal	32770±170	-23.1	37,615	36,624	37,437	36,250
Idemaruyama	IAAA-63169	AMS	charcoal	32720±190	-23.7	37,599	36,523	37,429	36,180