The Sannai Maruyama Site in Aomori Prefecture is a groundbreaking site that overturned earlier views of the Jomon period. Let us examine this site, which shows that Jomon society was more developed than previously imagined.
Basic Knowledge
The Sannai Maruyama Site is the remains of a large settlement from the Early to Middle Jomon period (about 5,900〜4,200 years ago) in Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture. Full-scale investigations beginning in 1992 revealed that about 500 people had lived there continuously for about 1,500 years.
The following discoveries were made at the site:
・Remains of a large post-built building (six pillars, estimated height of more than 15m)
・A large pit dwelling (32m long, thought to have been a meeting hall)
・Remains of about 780 pit dwellings
・Evidence of chestnut cultivation (confirmed through DNA analysis)
・Goods from distant regions, including jade from Niigata Prefecture and obsidian from Hokkaido
These discoveries show that Jomon society was organizationally and socially advanced.
Period Early to Middle Jomon (about 5,900〜4,200 years ago)
Population Large settlement estimated at around 500 people
Duration Continuous settlement for about 1,500 years
Six-pillar building Chestnut pillars 1m in diameter, estimated height of more than 15m
Chestnut cultivation Evidence of planned cultivation confirmed by DNA analysis
Long-distance exchange Jade from Niigata and obsidian from Hokkaido were unearthed
World Heritage Site Registered in 2021 as part of the “Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan”
Further Study (Background and Impact)
Jomon society had traditionally been considered a “primitive period of hunting and gathering.” However, discoveries at the Sannai Maruyama Site showed that Jomon society was highly developed in the following ways.
① Planned settlement management: Residential areas, cemeteries, dumping grounds, and storehouses were carefully arranged
② Plant cultivation: Planned chestnut cultivation, as well as cultivation of bottle gourds and perilla
③ Wide-area networks: Exchange of goods with regions hundreds of kilometers away
④ Development of rituals: Ritual objects such as large buildings, clay figurines, and stone rods
⑤ Long-term settlement: A sustainable society that continued for 1,500 years
These facts show that Jomon people were not merely hunter-gatherers but built a highly developed society while living in harmony with nature. In 2021, the “Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan,” including the Sannai Maruyama Site, was registered as a World Heritage Site.
- Sannai Maruyama Site = Aomori Prefecture, large Early to Middle Jomon settlement
- A sustainable society where about 500 people lived for about 1,500 years
- Large post-built building (six pillars) = high-rise structure more than 15m tall
- Planned chestnut cultivation = discovery that changed views of the Jomon period
- Jade and obsidian unearthed = wide-area exchange network
- Registered in 2021 as the “Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan” World Heritage Site
- Jomon society = a culture more developed than previously imagined
Points of Caution (Easily Confused)
① The Sannai Maruyama Site is in “Aomori Prefecture.” Do not confuse it with Iwate or Akita. ② The Jomon sites were registered as a World Heritage Site in 2021. The designation includes 17 sites, not only Sannai Maruyama. ③ Chestnut cultivation has been confirmed, but it should be distinguished from agriculture; it was a stage of planned cultivation. Full-scale wet-rice cultivation began in the Yayoi period. ④ The purpose of the large buildings is not certain; theories include ritual facilities and lookout platforms. ⑤ Development varied greatly by region even during the Jomon period. Tohoku and Kanto prospered, while western Japan had smaller populations.
Practice
- State the location and period of the Sannai Maruyama Site.
- Name two goods from distant regions discovered at the Sannai Maruyama Site.
- Describe the impact of the Sannai Maruyama Site on views of the Jomon period.