Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


osu1179521050.pdf (17.75 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Human biological variation during the agricultural transition in prehistoric Japan

Temple, Daniel Howard
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1179521050

Abstract Details

2007, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Anthropology.
This dissertation reconstructs behavioral and biological variation among prehistoric Jomon foragers and Yayoi agriculturalists using bioarchaeological data. The Jomon were a group of foragers from Japan dating to approximately 13,000 until 2500 BP. The Yayoi were the first agriculturally dependent people on the Japanese islands, dating from 2500 until 1700 BP. Data collected from human skeletal remains were used to test the following hypotheses about these groups: 1) Patterns of systemic stress among prehistoric Jomon foragers was variable; 2) Systemic stress increased following the transition to agriculture; 3) Systemic stress patterns among Yayoi agriculturalists was variable; 4) Differences in body size and proportions will be observed among and between Jomon foragers and Yayoi agriculturalists; 5) Systemic stress experienced during the agricultural transition in prehistoric Japan was greater than other East Asian agriculturalists and improved compared with North American agriculturalists. Non-specific indicators of stress suggest the Jomon from western Japan experienced greater disease loads than those from eastern Japan. This trend is associated with plant dependent diets and resource scarcity in western Japan. Stature variation is, however, not recorded between these two groups indicating that systemic stress severity was not different between the eastern and western Jomon. Oral health declined following the transition to agriculture in prehistoric Japan in association with increased consumption of carbohydrates. Non-specific indicators of stress reduced in frequency following the transition to agriculture. These trends indicate that the quality of life for prehistoric Japanese was generally improved compared to prehistoric North American agriculturalists and similar to that observed in prehistoric East Asian agriculturalists. In addition, patterns of health observed among Yayoi agriculturalists, specifically enamel hypoplasia and stature variation, indicates that the Tanegashima Island Yayoi experienced greater levels of systemic stress than the Yayoi from Tanegashima Island and Northern Kyushu. Variation in body proportions among and between the Jomon and Yayoi is associated with morphological adjustment to climate and differences in systemic stress levels. The overall results of this dissertation suggest that biological and cultural responses to environmental variation crossed large portions of geographic and temporal space in prehistoric Japan.
Clark Larsen (Advisor)
484 p.
Anthropology, Physical
bioarchaeology; Japan; Jomon; Yayoi; dental anthropology; enamel hypoplasia; dental caries; ontogeny; stature; ecogeographic variation; body proportions; agriculture; human variation

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Temple, D. H. (2007). Human biological variation during the agricultural transition in prehistoric Japan [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1179521050

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Temple, Daniel. Human biological variation during the agricultural transition in prehistoric Japan. 2007. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1179521050.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Temple, Daniel. "Human biological variation during the agricultural transition in prehistoric Japan." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1179521050

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1179521050
1,073
© 2007, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.