縄文 | CreativeTravelToJapan

Visit the sources of Japan’s creativity – IV Jomon

日本の創造、その源を訪ねるIV

JOMON

In harmony with nature

The prehistoric Jomon culture could be found the length and breadth of the Japanese archipelago from some time after the end of the last Ice Age (a bout 15,000 years ago) to the start of the Yayoi culture (about 2,500 years ago). Jomon takes its name from types of pottery bearing cord markings. Its origins and continued existence ran parallel with the period during which rice cultivation became established in Japan. Most human settlements elsewhere in the world began with agriculture but the Jomon culture established itself in a pre-agricultural hunter- gatherer society. What sets it apart from other ancient cultures was its remarkable achievement of fostering a settled human condition in harmony with nature over a period lasting more than 10,000 years.

The people of the Jomon period were distant ancestors of the modern Japanese, and their reverence for nature and their development of the animistic spiritual values which are particularly associated with the Jomon period ̶ their gratitude and respect for all living things ̶ have been passed down in an unbroken line to modern Japan and can be seen in the many creative layers of contemporary Japanese society.

Even after the island of Honshu made the transition to the Yayoi culture, in Hokkaido, a region endowed with a magnificent abundance of natural resources, none of the Epi-Jomon, Satsumon, Okhotsk or Ainus cultures adopted agriculture. Instead, they continued as hunter-gatherer societies, weaving their own history through a symbiosis with nature. Their spirituality and idiosyncratic culture remains a strong part of modern Japanese society. This section introduces the spirit and the expertise of the Jomon period and focuses on its pervasive impact on creative skills in Japan.

Providing articles and materials

Articles and materials provided by:Hokkaido Government Department of Environment and Lifestyle, Culture and Sports Bureau, Cultural Promotion Division, Jomon World Heritage Promotion Office

Cooperation:Hakodate Jomon Culture Centre

“縄文”日本文化の深層

自然と共生し 1万年続いた日本の先史文化

縄文文化は、最終氷期末( 約1万5,000年前) から水稲耕作を伴う弥生文化の開始(約2,500年前)まで、日本列島全体に展開した先史文化です。“縄文”とは、当時の人々が使っていた土器に縄目紋様が付けられていることに由来します。世界的に見ると定住は農耕により始まりますが、縄文文化は、狩猟・採集・漁労を基盤にするなど、自然と共生しながら一万年も安定した定住生活を実現した点に大きな特徴があります。

縄文時代の人々は日本人の遠い祖先であり、自然に謙虚に向き合い、命ある全てのものに感謝するといった縄文時代のアニミズム的な自然観や精神性は、現代の日本文化やモノづくりの深層に脈々と引き継がれています。

特に雄大な自然が広がる北海道は、本州が弥生文化に移行した後も農耕を選択せず、続縄文文化、オホーツク文化、擦文文化を経てアイヌ文化へと続くなど、自然と共生するなかで独自の歴史が展開したことによって、その精神や文化が色濃く残っています。

ここでは、縄文の心や技術を紹介し、日本の創造に与えてきた影響とその価値について改めて考えます。

Historic sites Ofuna ruins(Hakodate) l 史跡大船遺跡（函館市）

記事・資料提供
北海道環境生活部文化局文化振興課縄文世界遺産推進室
https://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/ks/bns/jomon

北海道歴史・文化ポータルサイト
https://www.akarenga-h.jp/hokkaido/jomon/j-01/

協力

函館市縄文文化交流センター

http://www.hjcc.jp

The Jomon spirit

– Life cycles and regeneration –

The people of the Jomon period lived in harmony with nature for the greater part of 10,000 years They believed that humans are part of the natural order, that t here is life in all things, that life moves in cycles and is constantly regenerating. Their clay figures and shell mounds reflect this set of beliefs.

縄文の心　－循環と再生の精神－

縄文時代の人々は1万年に及ぶ自然との共生の中で、「人は自然に生かされている」という考えのもと、「全てのモノに命があり、循環し再生する」と信じていました。土偶や貝塚にはそうした精神が反映されています。

Clay figurines

Clay figurines were produced throughout the span of the Jomon period. Although initially they consisted of female figures depicted only with breasts, by the middle period the figurines were adapted and came to represent pregnant women stemming, it is believed, because of the importance and significance of fertility in early Japanese society, in which the aspiration for birth and new life was paramount.

However, in the latter half of the Jomon period masculine elements such as beards and flattened chests were added, the two genders were encompassed in the same figurine. Furthermore, a number of intentionally destroyed clay figurines have been excavated. This destruction, a symbol of death, is believed to represent the first stage in the regeneration life.

土偶

土偶は縄文時代の始めから終わりまで一貫して作り続けられます。初期は乳房だけ付けた女性像で、中頃には妊婦の姿を現したものに変化することから、生命の誕生を願って作られたと考えられています。しかし、後半になると髭や男根など男性的な要素も加わり、両性的な造形になります。また、多くの土偶が意図的に壊されて出土します。“死”のイメージとしての破壊が、再生（生）の始まりと考えていたのでしょうか。

National treasure. Clay figurine, late Jomon period. Excavated from the Chobonaino historic ruins in the city of Hakodate.

Height 41.5 cm x width 20.1 cm.

国宝「土偶」　函館市箸保内野遺跡出土

縄文時代後期　高さ41.5× 幅20.1cm

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The posture and geometric patterns of clay figurines

On examining the sculpture it can be seen that the clay figurine is standing upright, facing slightly towards the upper right, with the waist twisted a little toward the right, the right foot to the front, and the right shoulder pulled back. This is consistent with the natural physical characteristics of human movement which are evident when walking. Clay figurines displaying such a sequence of movements are commonly known as “posed clay figurines.”

The entire clay figurine is decorated with a geometric pattern motif made up of circles and arrows. These patterns, such as the representation of breasts by the technique were made using a thin clay cord with short impression. The geometric patterns are said to represent the hidden myths of Jomon society. If they could speak who knows what stories this clay figurines could tell?

土偶のポーズと幾何学模様

造形的に見ると、土偶はやや右上を向いて直立し、腰が右方向に少しひねられて右足が前に、右肩が後ろに引かれています。これは、人間が歩く際の身体的特徴に不思議と合致しています。有る動作を示した土偶を「ポーズ土偶」と通称しています。土偶全体に施された文様モチーフは、〇と△によって構成された幾何学的文様です。玉抱三叉文による乳房表現など、この文様は短刻のある細い粘土紐によって描かれています。幾何学的文様には縄文社会の神話が隠されていると言われていますが、この土偶にはどんな物語が隠されているのでしょうか。

Posture and Geometric Pattern l ポーズと幾何学文様

Shell middens and earthen mounds

Shell middens (kaizuka) were the rubbish heaps where people discarded the shells and bones of fish and animals after their flesh had been eaten. However, because human graves have also been found carefully buried in Jomon shell mounds, it is likely that far from being simply a rubbish dump, shell middens were also a sacred place in which to inter the souls of animals, including those of human beings. In addition, some earthen mounds (morido) have been discovered filled with the remains of discarded implements such as pottery and stone tools, among which human graves have been found. The people of the Jomon period believed that souls dwelled not only in humans and other living organisms, such as animals and plants, but that souls also dwelled in inanimate objects, such as pottery artefacts and stone tools.

貝塚・盛土遺構

貝塚とは当時の人々が食べた貝の殻、魚や動物の骨などを廃棄した場所です。ただ、縄文時代の貝塚からは、丁寧に埋葬された人の墓も見つかっていることから、単なるゴミ捨て場ではなく、人間を含めた生き物の魂を送る場所だったと考えられています。また、盛土遺構という土器や石器などの道具類を廃棄した場所もあり、そこにも人の墓がつくられています。縄文時代の人々は、人間はもちろんのこと、動物や植物などの生物だけでなく、土器や石器などの道具類にも魂が宿っていると信じていたようです。

Shell midden l 貝塚

Sea snail,Periwinkle,Clam l クボガイ・タマキビガイ・アサリ

Tuna, flounder l マグロ・ヒラメ

Japanese sea lion l ニッポンアシカ

Jomon skills and expertise

– The origins of Japanese crafts –

By the beginning of the Jomon period, the basis of modern Japanese craft techniques such as lacquerware, jade processing and the braiding of plant fibres for basket weaving were already established. These techniques have been steadily refined over the 10,000 years or more that have since elapsed.

縄文の技術　－日本工芸の原点－

縄文時代には、漆工やヒスイ加工、植物繊維でバスケット等を作る編組製品など、現在の日本工芸の基礎となる技術がすでに確立しており、その系譜が一万年の時を超えてさらに洗練されていきます。

The world’s oldest lacquerware items(9,000 years ago) l 世界最古の漆製品（9,000 年前）

Red Lacquered spouted vessel (3,300 years ago) l 漆塗り注口土器（3,300 年前）

Lacquerware

Lacquerware is a traditional craft distinctive of Japan. Used somewhat like paint, lacquer is created by mixing red or black pigment with sap collected by scraping l acquertress, a process which requires the combination of a light touch and a lot of effort. The oldest lacquerware products still in existence ̶ ornaments for clothing created with thread made from plant fibres painted with red lacquer ̶ date from about 9,000 years ago (the early Jomon period). Lacquering skills that led to the techniques in use today gradually evolved over time. Examples may be found in dishes made of lacquer painted on wood and trays made of lacquer painted on baskets. One distinctive feature of Jomon-period lacquerware was the painting of red lacquer over the top of black lacquer, a technique that is still used in contemporary lacquerware.

漆工品

漆工品は日本を代表する伝統工芸です。漆工はウルシの木に傷を付けて採取した樹液に赤色や黒色の顔料を混ぜて塗料として使うもので、多くの労力と繊細な技術を必要とします。世界最古の漆製品は、今から約９千年前（縄文早期）のもので、赤色漆を塗った植物繊維の糸を編んで衣服の飾りにしたものです。その後、木器に漆を塗った木胎漆器や網籠に漆を塗った籃胎漆器など、現代につながる漆工技術が生まれます。縄文時代の漆工の特徴には、黒色漆の上に赤色漆を塗り重ねるという技法があり、これは現代の漆工技術にも継承されています。

Red Lacquered pottery pices / Mako B site (3,500 years ago) l 赤漆塗り土器片/ 磨光B 遺跡（3,500 年前）

Jade

Jade is a stone which has been loved and treasured in Japan for a very long time. Japan’s jade production is limited to the Himekawa area of Itoigawa in Niigata Prefecture and there is evidence that ornamental jade was being mined from this site during the Jomon peri od. Jade is a very hard mineral, but the people of the Jomon period would patiently drill holes in pieces of jade using sand and similar materials as abrasive agents in order to work the jade into decorative pendants.

The base rock of jade is white, although some parts sparkle green with omphacite. A comparison in beauty can be drawn between the lustrous green of jade emerging from within its white base rock and the fresh green of spring emerging from under the white winter snows.

ヒスイ

ヒスイは日本で古くから愛されている宝石です。日本のヒスイ産地は新潟県糸魚川市の姫川周辺に限られており、縄文時代のヒスイ装飾品もこの地から運ばれていたことが分かっています。ヒスイはとても硬い鉱物ですが、縄文時代の人々は砂などを研磨材として根気よく孔を開け、ペンダントなどに加工していました。

ヒスイの母岩は白色ですが、オンファス輝石によって緑色に輝く部分があります。白い母岩の中から緑色が浮かび上がる様は、まるで春になって雪の中から新緑が芽生えてくるような美しさがあります。

Jade

The Jomon people were strongly drawn to the beautiful, mysterious green hue of this mineral in which they found an affinity with their native spirit. Mainly used for ornaments, jade was fashioned into various shapes and forms by the clever techniques in use during the Jomon period.

ヒスイ

縄文人の心を惹きつけた、美しく神秘的な緑の色合い。主に装身具として利用され、当時の巧みな技術でさまざまな形に加工されています。

Bitumen

Bitumen intended to be calculated on the oil deposit area, is the mineral resources that are available from the world ‘s oldest. As a reinforcement of the building is in Mesopotamia, it had also been used to, such as mummy making in Egypt . In Japan, it is described that was presented to Emperor Tenchi from Japan secretary to” Moyuru Tsuchi (Burning soil) ” as Koshi country ( Current of Niigata prefecture, etc ) in 668 A.D, was called ” Kusawa water ” in the Edo era. The Jomon period, by utilizing the agglutination of, such as the joining of the broken of repair and bow and arrow of earthenware shaft of an arrow and Sekizoku (arrowhead ), had been used mainly as an adhesive. In particular, from the nature that do not dissolve in water, the reinforcement of the hook and the thread of the knot, such as the junction of stone harpoon head and shaft , and conspicuous use in fishing gear. These bitumen has, such as those of Akita production an d Niigata. Perhaps the rare high-tech material of the time.

アスファルト

アスファルトは石油鉱床地帯に産出するもので、世界的に最も古くから利用された鉱物資源です。メソポタミアでは建物の補強として、エジプトではミイラづくりなどにも使われていました。日本では日本書記に「燃ゆる土」として西暦668年に越の国（現在の石川県、新潟県など）から天智天皇に献上したことが記載されており、江戸時代には「草生水」と呼ばれていました。

縄文時代には、その膠着性を利用して、壊れた土器の補修や弓矢の矢柄と石鏃（せきぞく）の接合など、主に接着剤として使われていました。特に水に溶けない性質から、釣針と糸の結び目の補強、銛先と柄の接合など、漁具での使用が目立っています。これらのアスファルトは秋田産や新潟産のものなどがあります。当時の希少なハイテク材と言えるでしょう。

Bitumen residue which has the identation of an Abalone shell（Bitumen might have been poured into shells in order to preserve them. Above: a present – day abalone) l アワビの貝殻の圧痕があるアスファルト塊（貝殻に入れて保管していた状況が分かる。上は現在のアワビ）

Bitumen adhering to the stone l 石器に付着したアスファルト

Bitumen excavated situation ( Hakodate Mako B ruins ) l アスファルト出土状況（函館市磨光B 遺跡）

Jomon values

– Towards World Heritage listing –

The core values of the Jomon era ̶ living in harmony with natur e and respecting all forms of life ̶ are important not only for understanding the deeper laye rs of contemporary Japanese culture but also for providing meaningful universal values to embrace when considering the future of mankind. Jomon culture carries with it a strong reminder of the powerful human urge to cherish nature and life and to accept a wide range of values. For this reason, the four prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori, Akita, and Iwate have joined together with the objective of achieving the UNESCO registration of “Jomon” as a World Cultural Heritage.

縄文の価値　－世界遺産をめざして－

縄文時代の「自然との共生」や「命ある全てを尊重する」などの価値観は、現代の日本文化の深層を知るだけでなく、これからの国際社会のあり方を考えるうえで極めて重要な価値を包含しています。本来的に人類が持っている「自然や命を大切にする心」、「多様な価値を受け入れる心」に、縄文文化は気づかせてくれます。そのため、北海道と青森、秋田、岩手の４道県は“縄文”を世界文化遺産に登録しようと取り組んでいます。

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Efforts aimed at World Heritage listing: the Jomon ruins of norhtern Tohoku and Hokkaido

Jomon culture extended throughout the entire Japanese archipelago, but not uniformly; it was divided into some six regional cultural areas. Among these, the 17 ruins for which World Cultural Heritage listing is sought are located in the so uthern part of Hokkaido and in the northern Tohoku region, locations which face each other across the Tsugaru Strait, the 18 kilometre stretch of sea that separates the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. This strait did not hinder cultural exchange during the Jomon period because a common cultural area was established and maintained for over 10,000 years. However, this particular cultural area has been selected in light of the fact that it contains outstanding ruins which between them date from the very beginning right through to the end of the Jomon period.

世界遺産の取組『北海道・北東北の縄文遺跡群』

縄文文化は日本列島全体に広がっていましたが、均一ではなく、6つほどの地域文化圏に分かれていました。その中で世界文化遺産をめざしているのは、津軽海峡を挟んだ北海道南部と北東北地方の17遺跡です。津軽海峡は本州と北海道を隔てる幅約18キロの海峡ですが、この海峡は交流の妨げにはならず、縄文時代を通して交流し、一万年間共通の文化圏を形成・維持していました。また、この地域文化圏には縄文時代の始まりから終末までの優れた遺跡がまとまっていることから、この範囲が選定されています。