Session 1 - June 16

[cgao]

Ritual and Material Culture in Prehistoric Japan

Lecture 1

 

 

Lecture 2

 

 

Required Assignments/Readings

• Listen to Jomon pot podcast from BBC's "A History of the World in 100 Objects"
• Jōmon Culture
• ​​Dogū figurines
• Yayoi pots
• Haniwa figure
• Gina L. Barnes, "Japan's Natural Setting," in Karl Friday, ed. Japan Emerging (Westview Press, 2012), 3-15.
• Theodore de Bary et al, eds., Sources of Japanese Tradition (Columbia University Press, 2001), "The Earliest Records of Japan," 3-16.
• Flames of Creation by Simon Kaner

 

 

[Miguel Diaz]

I am really interested in how geography played an important role in the historical development of Japan. As mentioned in the video by Professor Pitelka, Japan’s geography is important because it has historically been just far enough to be protected from damage, but close enough to receive continental influences involving technology, culture, and religion. I like the comparison that was made to the British Isles regarding geography and continental influences. This would make a good research topic for my students.

[Lou Kindschi]

The migration of people, technology and practices from Korea was noted in many sources.  In Korea these influences are proudly noted in exhibits and in lectures.  Does Japanese education and curriculum convey these historical contributions?

[Miguel Diaz]

Japan enjoys a reputation, one that is often self-promoted, as a nation with a homogeneous and even ethnically unique population. However, as Professor Pitelka pointed out in the video, Japan’s population was formed as a result of various waves of migration. For example, people entered Japan from southern China via the Okinawa route, while others entered via the Korean Peninsula route, the Karafuto route, and the Chishima route.

The idea that migration brings change, and that it brings new technology and ideas is one that is not often fully explored and appreciated.

[Angela Granata]

I enjoyed both videos. Having friends from Japan, they would agree about the intermixing of China, Japan and Korea. My friends also found out they are also part Hawaiian! It is interesting how the videos explore the culture as well as the economic background of this culture.

[Thomas Pineda]

This is a fascinating period of history that I’ve never learned much about. It is interesting to learn about these cultures through their remnants and materials. From the podcast, hearing about the introduction of pottery and the change that would cause in lifestyle and diets is something I’ve never thought of, having these items that allowed the cooking of food. Another really interesting use of ‘technology’ that may have been observed on the dogū figures are the snow goggles that I had to look up as well.

[Paul Bracho]

After having read the articles about the various landscapes/biomes in Japan I began to recall my teaching of a World History course called "Big History". Its relatively new and what it does is fuse science and history together. Its really fascinating how the trajectory of people and nation-states had alot to do with the geography and the environment. 

[Thomas Pineda]

More and more I enjoy integrating these historical topics into Science classes, and the aspect of the changing environment and migration of these prehistoric groups. It’s amazing how much prehistorical evidence, in terms of migration, can be found that coincides with these climate changes over huge periods of time. It is probably a pretty busy time in terms of these discoveries as more construction and expansion leads to more archaeological findings. 

[Paul Bracho]

Great session today! It was great hearing from everyone and having a more in depth conversation. One of the things that I wanted to comment on was the how the readings (Barnes and Early Records) dealt with the land at the center of Japanese culture. When I teach, I spend a key amount of time on the geography and natural resources (or lack of) civilizations. So much of the weather/climate/environment is apart of our culture. In one of the readings (Earliest Records) details how much the Japanese culture is in their appreciation of their land (mountains, rivers and forests). It was both a positive and negative revelation that the Japanese people made it a point to stop the deforestation and to show reverence to their land and put industrialization secondary to their nation. What a great view of nature! It was sad to think of how our nation has recklessly industrialized and how we only now, albeit slowly, is trying to move in that direction. A great activity I do in my World History courses is to do a comparative analysis of Origin Stories. Choosing 5-6 different origin stories with the goal of seeing how each culture created a world view based on their surroundings (desert, river valleys, ocean, and/or mountain regions). 

[David Millians]

I really enjoyed class this week! Thank you, professors and classmatses! The development within the Japanese archipelago and with its neighbors in these eras continues to fascinate me. I would enjoy any resources anyone discovers regarding the variations across Japan during each of these periods, how local areas differered from other regions and how technologies and practices seemed to spread, at least based on current research. It seems odd to me, for example, that when many Jomon communities appeared in the uplands that fishing and use of other sea resources diminished as drastically as it sounds. I'd also like to know more about the prevalence of burial mounds in regions outside the nascent Yamato state. Relatedly, I'm curious to know more about the transitional periods. I'm looking forward to our next gathering in a week!

[David Millians]

Paul and Thomas, I would enjoy hearing more about your ideas for science topics related to these historical eras and their changing environments.

[Claudia Ortega]

I am blown away by the amount of information covered this week and it has been fascinating to learn about the creation of the ceramics left behind during the Jomon period.  Flames of Creation was a very good read.  My mind keeps comparing the Ancient Civilizaitons in Mesopotamia to what we've learned this week.  For so long, we (in middle school) have focused our teaching of ancient civilizaitons to cover Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Greece...but some of these findings such as the dogu figures and ceramic vessels date way back.  I am glad the world is becoming more interested in Japanese History and the significance of the Jomon period.  I am looking forward to learning more about Japanese HIstory.  

[Thomas Pineda]

I'd definitely appreciate bouncing some ideas around. The reading from Gina Barnes (Japan's Natural Setting) has a great section specifically tied to Japan's forests on page 8-10. In our Next Generation Science Standards, there is an increased emphasis on sustainability and human impact on environment. The reading mentions specific measures taken to preserve their forests as far back as the mid-1500s. It would be interestingto note the concept of environmental stewardship in different times and cultures. 

[Thomas Pineda]

Thinking about some guiding questions for this subtopic, I thought it would be interesting for students to research ‘how do cultures adapt to changing landscapes and climates over time?’ The example presented during our session was interesting because of the lack of historical records. But using remnants of objects of Jomon period habitants and combining it with the natural history of the forest composition gives clues to fill in that prehistorical time period.

[Deirdre Harris]

I very much enjoyed learning about early Japan and how it's geography, as Professor Pitelka mentioned first and foremost, was instrumental in creating a cultural climate for the four seasons.  Being that Japan is an archipelago created by the movement of the Asian, Phillipine and neighboring plates in the region, created the Alps, many volcanoes, such as Mount Fuji, and several mountain ranges in Japan.  This geography created the four seasons for Japan, such as snow and cold weather in the North, as well as warm weather in the southern islands near Kyushu, and they enjoyed the lovely fall and spring in between, which in turn gave inspiration to the art of Japan depicting these changes in the seasons.  Art and poetry captured the beautiful culture of Japan's unique landscape unlike other countries.  Also, just as importantly, these islands were isolated just enough to allow Japan to retain it's cultural identity, yet they still benefitted from trade from it's neighbors China, Korea, and Russia.  The role of geography in Japan's history has played an interesting role here, one that I would not have imagined were it not for this class.  This connection that we have now realized can be applied to other parts of the world upon examination, and would be a wonderful way to teach geography to students.  My experience in the upper elementary grades has revealed that much more needs to be taught to students in this area, and I think by describing these connections to my students, they will become more motivated in learning not only where things are on a map, but how they affect a culture.  Great ideas developing here....  Thank you.

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