Transition of bifacial hunting weaponry use during the terminal Pleistocene in central Japan

• Hashizume Jun

  Center for Obsidian and Lithic Studies, Meiji University

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• 後期更新世末期の本州中央部における両面加工狩猟具利用の変遷
• コウキ コウシン セイ マッキ ノ ホンシュウ チュウオウブ ニ オケル リョウメン カコウ シュリョウグ リヨウ ノ ヘンセン

Abstract

During the end of the Pleistocene (ca. 16,000 to 11,500calBP), bifacial hunting weaponry (e.g., bifacial projectile points and stemmed points) was widely distributed in the northern circum-Pacific region. In the Japanese islands, lithic assemblages assigned to the same period were also characterized by lithic assemblages associated with various bifacial hunting weaponry including large and wide-shaped points, narrow-shaped points, stemmed points, and triangular arrowheads. Although many researchers have focused on the lithic typology, the manufacturing technology, and the chronological sequence concerning those bifacial hunting weapons, the detail of how they were used remains unclear.<BR>In order to examine the human adaptation to palaeoenvironmental changes in the terminal Pleistocene in the largest Japanese island of Honshu, this paper analyzes the breakage pat-terns, particularly focusing on impact breakage (impact fracture) and morphological variations of those points from central Honshu, and discusses a transition in the relations between the type of hunting weaponry and the hunting method. A macrofracture analysis is the most practical and effective method for evaluating human hunting behavior from the stone tool analysis. The analysis confirmed that several bifacial hunting weapons dealt with in this study clearly show the fractures including impact fractures.<BR>A comparative analysis between breakage patterns and morphological features demonstrated that the wide-shaped points were used as thrusting spears (or in another way) and darts ; the narrow shaped points as darts ; and the stemmed points as arrowheads. Additionally, the relation between the morphological variations and the convincing evidence for reshaping of the stone tools indicated that the narrow-shaped points were frequently maintained during hunting activities. These findings suggest that bifacial points were frequently used in hunting weaponry. Accordingly, the way of using bifacial hunting weaponry changed from thrusting spears and darts to arrowheads during the terminal Pleistocene in central Honshu. It is likely that the substantial changes in use of bifacial hunting weaponry and hunting activities are tightly correlated with paleoenvironmetal changes.

Journal

• The Quaternary Research (Daiyonki-Kenkyu)

  The Quaternary Research (Daiyonki-Kenkyu) 54 (5), 235-255, 2015

  Japan Association for Quaternary Research

Keywords

• terminal Pleistocene
• central Honshu Island
• bifacial hunting weaponry
• breakage patterns
• lithic morphology

Details

• CRID: 1390282681472404992
• NII Article ID: 130005113637
• NII Book ID: AN0034136X
• DOI: 10.4116/jaqua.54.235
• ISSN: 18818129
• ISSN: 04182642
• NDL BIB ID: 026798740
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I026798740
• Web Site: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jaqua/54/5/54_235/_pdf
• Text Lang: ja
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed