Fix the mistake: Paleolithic period

The Birth of the Japanese Archipelago and the Appearance of Humans

Until about 10,000 years ago, the Japanese Archipelago was in an Ice Age and looked very different from today. During this period, when it was connected to the continent by land, how did humans come to Japan?

Basic Knowledge

Earth has a long history: Earth was formed about 4.6 billion years ago, and human ancestors (australopithecines) appeared in Africa about 7 million years ago. Later, archaic humans, Neanderthals, and modern humans evolved, and modern humans (Homo sapiens) appeared about 200,000 years ago.
During the Ice Age, which began about 2.6 million years ago, sea levels fell during cold glacial periods, connecting the Japanese Archipelago to the continent by land. For this reason, it is thought that humans crossed from the continent while following large animals such as Naumann elephants and giant deer. When the Ice Age ended about 10,000 years ago, sea levels rose and the Japanese Archipelago took its present shape.

Further Study (Background and Effects)

During glacial periods, seawater was fixed as glaciers on land worldwide, so sea levels are thought to have been more than 100m lower than today. The Sea of Japan was almost like an “inland sea,” and at times the north was connected to Siberia through Sakhalin (Karafuto), while the south was connected by land to the Korean Peninsula.
Because of this landform, Naumann elephants reached the Kanto Plain, while mammoths lived as far south as Hokkaido. Humans lived a mobile lifestyle in order to follow these animals and use them as food. The discovery of the Iwajuku Site (Gunma Prefecture), one of Japan's oldest archaeological sites, completely overturned the historical understanding that “there was no Paleolithic Period in Japan.”

Points to Note (Easily Confused)

① The “end of the Ice Age” and the “arrival of humans” are different events. The Ice Age lasted from about 2.6 million years ago to 10,000 years ago, and humans came to Japan during it, around 38,000 years ago. ② Naumann elephants and mammoths are different species: Naumann elephants lived in relatively warm areas, while mammoths lived in cold regions. ③ Note that there were periods when the “Japanese Archipelago” was connected by land and periods when it was a complete island. ④ Be sure to remember the order australopithecines, archaic humans, Neanderthals, and modern humans.

Practice

1. Briefly explain why the Japanese Archipelago was connected to the continent by land.
2. Name the person who discovered Japan's first Paleolithic site and give the site's name.
3. Name two large animals that lived in Japan during the Ice Age.