Human Adaptation and Natural Resource Usage in Prehistoric Southern Ryukyu islands, Southwestern Japan

Summary

This study aims to discuss about the strategy of prehistoric human adaptation to the island environment, especially focus on the natural resource usage. I introduce the case of southern part of Ryukyu islands—the southwestern part of Japan archipelago, where the first long-term human settlement had occurred about 4,300 years ago. Prehistoric people in southern Ryukyu islands had a unique material culture (absence of pottery, use of giant clam shell adzes), which was dissimilar to the surrounding cultural groups, like the Jomon culture of the Japan archipelago or the Neolithic culture, which spread from Taiwan to Southeast Asia. This suggests that the prehistoric southern Ryukyu islands had been generally isolated. On the other hand, their unique material culture may relate to the geological environment of their islands. I suggest that prehistoric people developed a strategy suitable for surviving in these island environments, and improved their own material culture to adapt to a new ecology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Island Archaeology in East Asian Perspectives   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15779