Category:Yayoi period

The Yayoi period (弥生時代, Yayoi jidai) is a prehistoric period of Japan, traditionally dated from around 300 BCE to 300 CE. It succeeded the Jōmon period and is characterized by the introduction of wet-rice agriculture, new pottery styles, metallurgy, and significant social changes. The period is named after the Yayoi district of Tokyo, where artifacts typical of this period were first discovered.

The Yayoi period is often divided into three sub-periods:

• Early Yayoi (c. 300 BCE–100 BCE) – Introduction of rice cultivation and bronze tools; simple Yayoi pottery begins to appear.
• Middle Yayoi (c. 100 BCE–100 CE) – Expansion of wet-rice agriculture, development of moated settlements, and emergence of social hierarchies.
• Late Yayoi (c. 100–300 CE) – Growth of larger settlements, fortified villages, widespread iron use, and increased regional differentiation leading into the Kofun period.

The Yayoi period saw dramatic social and technological changes:

• Shift from hunter-gatherer to agrarian lifestyle, with wet-rice cultivation becoming central.
• Formation of permanent villages, often surrounded by moats and defensive earthworks.
• Emergence of social stratification, indicated by differences in burial practices and settlement size.
• Increased population density, especially in western Japan, and expansion of communities into new areas.

Yayoi pottery differs significantly from Jōmon pottery:

• Simpler and thinner than Jōmon pottery, often undecorated.
• Typically wheel-thrown or molded rather than cord-marked.
• Mainly functional, used for storage, cooking, and ritual purposes.

This contrast reflects the shift from highly decorated ceremonial pottery of the Jōmon period to utilitarian objects suited to an agricultural lifestyle.

The Yayoi period is notable for the introduction of metalworking:

• Bronze tools and ritual objects, such as mirrors, bells (dotaku), and weapons.
• Iron tools for agriculture, including sickles, hoes, and plows.
• Metalworking indicates influence from continental Asia, particularly the Korean Peninsula and China.

Yayoi settlements were typically larger than those of the Jōmon period:

• Raised-floor granaries to store rice and protect it from pests.
• Pit dwellings (tateana jukyo) continued, but with more regular layouts.
• Defensive structures, including moats, palisades, and embankments, became common, especially in later periods.

Ritual objects and burial practices reveal increasing social complexity:

• Dotaku bronze bells were used in ceremonies, possibly related to agriculture and fertility rites.
• Burial mounds (later influencing Kofun-period kofun) indicate hierarchical social structures.
• Clan-based society with local leaders emerging as influential figures.

The Yayoi period featured active trade and cultural exchange:

• Introduction of continental technologies such as rice cultivation, metallurgy, and new pottery techniques.
• Exchange of goods and knowledge with Korea and China.
• Evidence of long-distance movement of jade, bronze, and iron artifacts.

The Yayoi period laid the foundation for classical Japanese society. Agricultural practices, metallurgy, social hierarchies, and settlement patterns established during this period directly influenced the subsequent Kofun period and the rise of early Japanese states.

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