Weaving with the Seasons: A Case Study of Jomon Baskets and Resource Management in Neolithic Japan

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Evidence that basket weavers in the Neolithic Japanese archipelago had weaving techniques and knowledge of their adjacent climate and environment has been found in archaeological artifacts dating from approximately 8,000 to 2,300 years ago (Early to Late Jomon Period) across the Japanese archipelago. Fewer than 1,000 basketry pieces, including fragments, have been excavated from archaeological sites, and they show continuity and change in weaving techniques that continues through the modern period. Earlier archaeobotanical studies of Jomon baskets show that these weavers used various materials from the nearby environment and seemed to know the best season for gathering and processing materials. In an affluent hunter-gatherer foraging lifestyle, material choice and availability in quality and quantity with a reasonable amount of time for crafting are necessary. In this study, I use ethnographic accounts from the 1960s through 2020s from basket weavers in nearby areas and archaeological observations regarding excavated baskets from (1) the Higashimyo site, Saga, and (2) the Korekawa site, Iwate. By comparing ethnographic accounts that hold TEK (Traditional Ecological Knowledge), this study seeks to understand the reasons for choice of basket material based on the subsistence calendar. Through the lens of weaving, the study shows how weavers interact with their environment.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39938.0