Jomon culture in the Japanese archipelago Around 6500-5500 BC in mainland China when Agricultural culture such as millet and millet in the middle reaches of the Yellow River Rice cultivation in the Yangtze River basin Has also started.
In addition, the use of ironware has become popular, and the Spring / Autumn Warring States period Agriculture has also progressed remarkably in Japan, and in the 3rd century BC, a powerful nation called Western Han was established. The culture will spread to the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago so that it will be influenced by such a powerful civilization.
Around the end of the Jomon period, around the 5th century BC, rice cultivation by paddy fields began in northern Kyushu. As a result of trial and error, paddy rice cultivation in western Japan Yayoi culture based on Has spread to eastern Japan. From the era of food collection to the era of food production in the Japanese archipelago except Hokkaido and the Nansei Islands The period around the 4th to 3rd centuries BC was Yayoi . Is called.
Characteristics of Yayoi culture
Yayoi culture is paddy rice cultivation ( Dry field , which can be expected to produce more in the latter half of the year Was also developed), metalware using iron / copper and bronze Stone tools and weaving techniques introduced from the Korean Peninsula, such as stone tools, stone axes, and stone knives for picking rice, were used. In addition, the pottery for boiling has changed to red-grilled pottery such as turtles, acupoints, bees, and Takatsugu, and is Yayoi pottery . Is called.
New techniques such as paddy rice cultivation and metalware production were introduced from the continent, but techniques such as earthenware making, lithic reduction and pit dwellings inherited the Jomon culture.
During the Yayoi period, when the production of food by rice cultivation began, people's lives were greatly changed. Paddy fields of this era were smaller than the current ones, but the irrigation and drainage canals were full-scale. In addition, rice planting has already begun, and although the farm tools are made of wood, skis and morus alba were used, and harvesting was done with stone knives.
The harvest is stilt warehouse It was stored in a storage pit.
When the Yayoi culture spread to a certain scale, axes and knives gradually started from wooden farm tools. Iron tools such as Has been used and stone tools have disappeared, ironware Will become the mainstream.
Hunting and fishing continued, and pigs were also bred.
The living environment is pit-house Is common, the settlement gradually grows, and there are deep moats and earthworks around it. Moated Settlement Also came out.
The burial of the dead is a burial during the Jomon period. * by a clay pot grave, a wooden coffin grave, and a box-type sarcophagus grave in a communal graveyard near the village Extension funeral was.
* Burial with the entire body stretched.
Also, a embankment grave It is also a characteristic of this era that the tombs begin to appear widely, and the square girder tomb has a ditch around the low square mound. Was found in various places, and in the latter half of the Yayoi period, a tomb with a fairly large mound was born.
Among them is a large tomb where more than thirty mirrors and bronze weapons were buried, which is evidence that the difference in status has begun to appear in the group, and it is a powerful in each place.> Ruler Has appeared.
The beginning of Kuni
Moated Settlement during the Yayoi period Appeared, and stone tools and iron weapons appeared.
Agricultural societies were established in villages nationwide, and conflicts began over the surplus food stockpiled, and weapons and defensive facilities were developed.
Even in the Japanese archipelago, where there was not much conflict, people began to fight in this way, and several powerful settlements were integrated to form a political group called [Kuni]. Many of the tombs with large burial mounds during the Yayoi period were the small country rulers who ruled these Kuni. Is believed to be.
This separation of powers was also written in Chinese books at that time.
The history of the Western Han was written [ Hansho ] According to [ Wajin ] Kuni has more than 100 countries and often sent messengers to the Korean Peninsula. Also, 57 AD King of the Nakoku Is Emperor Guangwu It is said that he received the seal from. This gold seal has been found on Shikajima Island in Fukuoka City.
In this way, various small countries sent messengers to China and the Korean Peninsula in an attempt to raise their position in Japan and to incorporate the advanced culture of the continent.
The point of the Yayoi period!
- Agriculture (Paddy rice cultivation) Main + Hunter-gatherer
- Harvest is stilt warehouse And to the storage pit (← The difference between rich and poor has begun to appear depending on the yield)
- Thinner and stronger red-grilled Yayoi pottery Appearance
- Moated settlements around moats and earthworks Appearance (← grounds for a fierce battle)
- Late Ironware Is widespread
- A powerful ruler at the end Appears
- Large tombs can be seen all over the place, Kuni Was born
Yamatai country
220 years In mainland China, the Eastern Han was destroyed, and Wei, Shu, Wu Books from the time of the Three Kingdoms era [ Wajin According to the Wajinden in Wakoku, the big conflict was hard to settle at the end of the 2nd century. At that time, Yamatai country Queen Himiko When the war was settled, a coalition of about 30 small nations was born, centered on Yamatai.
Himiko In 239, sent a messenger to Wei in China, [ Wei Wei King ] Title and many bronze mirrors were given. Himiko, as a shrine maiden, was in politics against the backdrop of her magical abilities.
Already in Yamatai, adults and Shimodo There was a certain degree of governance, tax and punishment systems in place, and the city was developing.
After the death of Himiko, the male king ruled Kuni, but it didn't work, and Himiko's daughter, Iyo Became a king and reigned. In mainland China, in 266, instead of Wei, [ Jin ] Has been established, and after Iyo sent a messenger to Jin, the description of Japan disappeared from Chinese books for about 150 years.
Various theories have been taken up in this blank 4th century.
Nowadays, there is a debate about where this Yamatai country was, and many theories are circulating. For the time being, I have touched on it here as well, so please refer to it.