Post-Jomon culture

From the late Jomon period onwards, a pottery culture developed in the unique climate of northern Japan, mainly in Hokkaido, in parallel with the Yayoi and Kofun cultures of Honshu. When Honshu transitioned to a wet-rice farming society, this culture, which continued to retain strong Jomon influences, was formed in this region due to its geographical conditions and cultural traditions. The economy continued to be based on hunting, fishing and gathering, and stone tools, as well as bone and horn tools, were widely used as everyday tools, and pottery was decorated with Jomon patterns. There are several lineages depending on the region, such as the Esan pottery culture, which was established with the Obora pottery culture of southern Hokkaido as its mother and under the influence of the Yayoi culture of the Tohoku region, and the Ebetsu (Kohoku) pottery culture of central Hokkaido, which is more Hokkaido-like.

The Esan type is characterized by engraved lines and striped/banded Jomon patterns, while the Ebetsu type is characterized by imitation rope-attached patterns in the first half and wedge-shaped thrust patterns and striped/banded Jomon patterns in the second half, but eventually evolved into a basic culture. Stone tools commonly used were chipped stone knives with double-sided processing, but the shapes of the stone arrowheads are in contrast. Bone and horn tools are particularly abundant in the Esan type, and harpoons in particular were well developed. Metal tools appear to have already existed. Dwellings were of the vertical pit type, with the Esan type being circular and the Ebetsu type often having a tongue-shaped protruding part. The tomb system was flexed burial in a pit grave with a circular or oval plan. The Esan type was often head-first in the northwest, while the Ebetsu type was often head-first in the southeast. The latter half of the Ebetsu culture extends from southern Hokkaido to the Tohoku region. It also came into contact with the Hajiki culture at this stage, and transitioned from the transitional eclectic culture of the Hokudai culture to the Satsumon pottery culture. The post-Jomon culture period was the starting point for the unique historical process that northern Japan would follow in comparison to the rice-growing agricultural society of central Japan.

[Tetsuo Kikuchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

縄文晩期以降、本州の弥生(やよい)・古墳文化と並行する時期に北海道を中心として北日本独特の風土のなかで展開された土器文化。本州が水稲農耕社会に移行したとき、この地域では地理的条件と文化的伝統から、引き続き縄文的色彩を強くとどめたこの文化が形成された。相変わらず猟漁、採集を経済基盤とし、日常の利器として石器、骨角器を盛用し、土器は縄文で飾られた。道南部の大洞(おおぼら)式系土器文化を母胎に東北地方の弥生文化の影響のもとで成立した恵山(えさん)式土器文化や、道央の、より北海道的な江別(えべつ)（後北(こうほく)）式土器文化など、地域により複数の系列がある。

　恵山式は刻線文と縞(しま)・帯(おび)状縄文、江別式では前半に擬縄貼付文(ぎじょうてんぷもん)が、後半に楔形刺突文(くさびがたしとつもん)と縞・帯状縄文とが特徴的だが、やがて素文化する。石器では打製両面加工の石ナイフが共通するが、石鏃(せきぞく)の形態は対照的である。骨角器はとくに恵山式に豊富で、とりわけ銛(もり)が発達する。金属器もすでに存在したらしい。住居は竪穴(たてあな)式で、恵山式は円形、江別式には舌状張出(ぜつじょうはりだし)部をもつ例が多い。墓制は平面が円・楕円(だえん)形の土壙墓(どこうぼ)で屈葬。恵山式は北西、江別式では南東頭位が多い。江別式後半の文化は道南から東北地方にも及ぶ。またこの段階で土師器(はじき)の文化と接触し、過渡的折衷文化たる北大式を経て擦文(さつもん)土器文化へと移行する。続縄文文化期こそは、その後、稲作農耕社会の中央日本に対し、北日本地域が独特の歴史過程をたどることになる、そもそもの出発点となった時期である。

［菊池徹夫］

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