This new edition of CKJ 1993/1999, thoroughly rewritten with colour illustrations, is OUT. It is ... more This new edition of CKJ 1993/1999, thoroughly rewritten with colour illustrations, is OUT. It is available in Hardback ISBN 9781785700705 , and in THREE eBook formats (from late October): PDF: 9781785700736; Mobi: 9781785700729; e-Pub: 9781785700712
This work is uploaded in four parts: the 'text' holds my analysis, 'tables' accompany this analys... more This work is uploaded in four parts: the 'text' holds my analysis, 'tables' accompany this analysis, the 'appendix' gives all references to women in the NS, and the 'index' locates women and others by name.
Academia is trying to name William Wayn as co-author to this book; he is not. William Wayne Farri... more Academia is trying to name William Wayn as co-author to this book; he is not. William Wayne Farris wrote a review of the book for "Journal of Asian Studies" but he does not have an Academia site and is unrelated to the Wiliam Wayn who is claiming to have authored the work.
This introduction to the volume provides background information necessary for understanding the a... more This introduction to the volume provides background information necessary for understanding the arrangement and content of the succeeding articles. The origin and general concepts of the Buddhist religion as they affect material culture are set out, with a glossary of terms keyed to all the articles. The spread of Buddhism is then briefly described through Sri Lanka into Southeast Asia, and through Afghanistan into East Asia. The articles are subsequently arranged in this geographical order. Because of the cumulative nature of the information presented, following the chronological development and spread of the religion, the volume is best read from beginning to end.
The work is copyright by Gina L. Barnes & Masaaki OKITA. The illustrations can be used in other publications, given appropriate citation.
I have uploaded here the Table of Contents (ToC) and those parts of the report for which I am author or co-author. The full report contains tremendous more information including all the excavation data in appendices.
The work at the Miwa site required an excavation permit. I was encouraged by my Japanese colleagues to apply for it under my own name. To my knowledge, this is the first and only excavation permit granted to a foreigner not employed in Japan. I am sad that no one else seems to have followed suit. Mind you, I worked with these colleagues for 15 years before establishing the project, and it takes this kind of networking and building of relationships with colleagues before such a thing can happen. Speaking fluent Japanese was also essential.
The constructs and analyses used by many of the Japanese authors are somewhat different to Western practices. They are useful to understand the way archaeology was conducted in Japan. Note, however, that this volume is now 20 years old; things have changed.
In particular, all the affiliations and contact information of authors are likely to be out of date. Please double check before attributing anything.
The download is for the Table of Contents of this volume. The book is still available from the Un... more The download is for the Table of Contents of this volume. The book is still available from the University of Michigan Center for Japanese Studies in paperback for only $30: https://www.press.umich.edu/18628/windows_on_the_japanese_past
This new edition of CKJ 1993/1999, thoroughly rewritten with colour illustrations, is OUT. It is ... more This new edition of CKJ 1993/1999, thoroughly rewritten with colour illustrations, is OUT. It is available in Hardback ISBN 9781785700705 , and in THREE eBook formats (from late October): PDF: 9781785700736; Mobi: 9781785700729; e-Pub: 9781785700712
This work is uploaded in four parts: the 'text' holds my analysis, 'tables' accompany this analys... more This work is uploaded in four parts: the 'text' holds my analysis, 'tables' accompany this analysis, the 'appendix' gives all references to women in the NS, and the 'index' locates women and others by name.
Academia is trying to name William Wayn as co-author to this book; he is not. William Wayne Farri... more Academia is trying to name William Wayn as co-author to this book; he is not. William Wayne Farris wrote a review of the book for "Journal of Asian Studies" but he does not have an Academia site and is unrelated to the Wiliam Wayn who is claiming to have authored the work.
This introduction to the volume provides background information necessary for understanding the a... more This introduction to the volume provides background information necessary for understanding the arrangement and content of the succeeding articles. The origin and general concepts of the Buddhist religion as they affect material culture are set out, with a glossary of terms keyed to all the articles. The spread of Buddhism is then briefly described through Sri Lanka into Southeast Asia, and through Afghanistan into East Asia. The articles are subsequently arranged in this geographical order. Because of the cumulative nature of the information presented, following the chronological development and spread of the religion, the volume is best read from beginning to end.
The work is copyright by Gina L. Barnes & Masaaki OKITA. The illustrations can be used in other publications, given appropriate citation.
I have uploaded here the Table of Contents (ToC) and those parts of the report for which I am author or co-author. The full report contains tremendous more information including all the excavation data in appendices.
The work at the Miwa site required an excavation permit. I was encouraged by my Japanese colleagues to apply for it under my own name. To my knowledge, this is the first and only excavation permit granted to a foreigner not employed in Japan. I am sad that no one else seems to have followed suit. Mind you, I worked with these colleagues for 15 years before establishing the project, and it takes this kind of networking and building of relationships with colleagues before such a thing can happen. Speaking fluent Japanese was also essential.
The constructs and analyses used by many of the Japanese authors are somewhat different to Western practices. They are useful to understand the way archaeology was conducted in Japan. Note, however, that this volume is now 20 years old; things have changed.
In particular, all the affiliations and contact information of authors are likely to be out of date. Please double check before attributing anything.
The download is for the Table of Contents of this volume. The book is still available from the Un... more The download is for the Table of Contents of this volume. The book is still available from the University of Michigan Center for Japanese Studies in paperback for only $30: https://www.press.umich.edu/18628/windows_on_the_japanese_past
pp 491 to 547 in Festschrift for M.V. Vorobiev (2022), discussing the word 'ki' in Nihon Shoki pl... more pp 491 to 547 in Festschrift for M.V. Vorobiev (2022), discussing the word 'ki' in Nihon Shoki placenames and personal names.
The main focus of the conference, 26-28 June 2021, is undergraduate and graduate student research... more The main focus of the conference, 26-28 June 2021, is undergraduate and graduate student research. It is open to all students and faculty of East Asian archaeology, does not require SEAA membership, and is free of charge. The SEAA 2021 Online Student Conference is co-hosted by SEAA and Professor Sungjoo Lee and colleagues at Kyungpook National University. Presentations or short films will be on all topics that highlight the growth and depth of East Asian archaeology in Korea, China, and Japan and adjacent regions, such as Southeast Asia, the Pacific, North Asia, Central Asia and the East Asian diaspora. Examples of possible topics include, but are not limited to: scientific approaches to the archaeology of East Asia, theoretical themes that crosscut geographical boundaries, and studies of particular sites, regions, and cultures.
by NOTO Takeshi & Gina L. Barnes, chapter 14 in "TephroArchaeology in the North Pacific", Archaeo... more by NOTO Takeshi & Gina L. Barnes, chapter 14 in "TephroArchaeology in the North Pacific", Archaeopress, Oxford (2019) FREE E-BOOK DOWNLOAD
de Boer, E.; Yang, M.; Kawagoe, A. & Barnes, G. (2020) "Japan considered from the hypothesis of f... more de Boer, E.; Yang, M.; Kawagoe, A. & Barnes, G. (2020) "Japan considered from the hypothesis of farmer/language spread." Evolutionary Human Sciences 2: e13, 20pp. Formally, the Farming/Language Dispersal hypothesis as applied to Japan relates to the introduction of agriculture and spread of the Japanese language (between ca. 500 BC–AD 800). We review current data from genetics, archaeology, and linguistics in relation to this hypothesis. However, evidence bases for these disciplines are drawn from different periods. Genetic data have primarily been sampled from present-day Japanese and prehistoric Jōmon peoples (14,000–300 BC), preceding the introduction of rice agriculture. The best archaeological evidence for agriculture comes from western Japan during the Yayoi period (ca. 900 BC–AD 250), but little is known about northeastern Japan, which is a focal point here. And despite considerable hypothesizing about prehistoric language, the spread of historic lan- guages/ dialects through the islands is more accessible but difficult to relate to prehistory. Though the lack of Yayoi skeletal material available for DNA analysis greatly inhibits direct study of how the pre-agricul- tural Jōmon peoples interacted with rice agriculturalists, our review of Jōmon genetics sets the stage for further research into their relationships. Modern linguistic research plays an unexpected role in bringing Izumo (Shimane Prefecture) and the Japan Sea coast into consideration in the populating of northeastern Honshu by agriculturalists beyond the Kantō region.
“The East Asian Neolithic: a dissonance of definitions”, pp. 20-43 in Development of Neolithic cultures and diversity of pottery, Amasadong Site Research Series Vol. 3, ed. by BAE Kidong. Seoul: East Asian Archaeology Research Society, 2019
Beginning with definitions of 'neolithic', this paper will first review the origins of and change... more Beginning with definitions of 'neolithic', this paper will first review the origins of and changes in the Western concept of the Neolithic and then illustrate how that concept does not fit with most East Asian data. The problems to be identified are the changing technological skills in stone-tool manufacture, the emergence of ceramic vessel production, and the shifts in understanding human management of and symbiosis with plant communities. It is concluded that the terms 'Neolithic' and even 'neolithization' are not useful for comparative research dealing with the transition from hunting and gathering to agricultural societies.
This paper anchors itself in the spread of Yayoi culture from Kyushu into eastern Japan during th... more This paper anchors itself in the spread of Yayoi culture from Kyushu into eastern Japan during the Early Yayoi period. The transition from Jomon culture to Yayoi culture at the end of Early Yayoi into Middle Yayoi periods in the Kantō region is then inspected through the lenses of jōkonmon (scraped surface) ceramics, then secondary jar burials and settlement in Gunma Prefecture, and finally subsistence. In particular, the finds of non-rice grain impressions in pottery are beginning to illuminate lifeways before the adoption of irrigated rice agriculture from the mid-Middle Yayoi period onwards. Significantly in Gunma, irrigated rice agriculture is not thought to have evolved locally through western influences or borrowing but was brought in by newcomers from Nagano Prefecture, resulting in the disappearance of Jōmon-Yayoi transitional lifeways and dominance of the Yayoi 'package' as in western Japan. This particular situation in Gunma defies the traditional interpretation of the spread of rice agriculture into eastern and northern Japan without migration. Data from other Kantō areas undoubtedly offer comparative material to obtain more comprehensive views on the northeastern Yayoi culture and should be combined with what is presented here.
Journal of the British Academy 6 (2018) DOI 10.5871/jba/006.001
For millennia, jade has been val... more Journal of the British Academy 6 (2018) DOI 10.5871/jba/006.001
For millennia, jade has been valued in many cultures in Chinese archaeology. The favoured types and sources of jade have changed over time, as has our knowledge of the stones themselves. One of the greatest problems in dealing with archaeological jades is the correct identification of the stones in order to trace their source and thereby understand the social relations underlying their patterns of procurement, pro duction, and consumption. This paper examines the problems of identification and sourcing of Chinese archaeological jades from a worldwide point of view, dissecting terminological problems arising from mineralogy and rock geochemistry, and expli citly identifying the geological constraints on the formation of nephrite and jadeite. In particular, the role of plate tectonics in determining the occurrence of jade provides an overarching perspective on where in China jade sources might occur and how nephrite might be mined and distributed, together with its associated rocks and minerals. The latter associations are equally important to this jade sourcing endeavour.
pp.449-478 in Windows on the Japanese Past, ed. by Richard Pearson et al. (1986); Center for Japa... more pp.449-478 in Windows on the Japanese Past, ed. by Richard Pearson et al. (1986); Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan. This is an analysis of how ceramic types are determined in Japanese archaeology.
Korean Studies – Its Tasks and Perspectives 1: 436-46 (1988).
This is a paper I presented at the 5th International Conference on Korean Studies. Its contents w... more This is a paper I presented at the 5th International Conference on Korean Studies. Its contents were subsequently incorporated into my book on "State Formation in Korea".
Paper A-6 in "SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF ANCIENT CERAMICS 2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPO... more Paper A-6 in "SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF ANCIENT CERAMICS 2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ( ISAC '92 )" ed. by LI Jiazhi & CHEN Xianqiu, p. 64-69, (Shanghai: Shanghai Research Society of Science and Technology of Ancient Ceramics, 1992). Sherds for analysis provided by CHOO Youn-Sik and incorporated into the Ashmolean Museum collection by Mary Tregear.
pp. 297-208, in Pacific northeast Asia in prehistory, ed. by C. Melvin Aikens and Song Nai Rhee. ... more pp. 297-208, in Pacific northeast Asia in prehistory, ed. by C. Melvin Aikens and Song Nai Rhee. Pullman, WA: Washington State University Press, 1993. [content incorporated into State Formation in Korea, 2001]
In E.H. Weeder (ed.) The Rise of a Great Tradition: Japanese archaeological ceramics from the Jom... more In E.H. Weeder (ed.) The Rise of a Great Tradition: Japanese archaeological ceramics from the Jomon through Heian periods (10,500 BC-AD 1185), pp. 28-39 (1992). Tokyo/New York: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Govt. of Japan/Japan Society. Also published in Japan Society Newsletter 38.4: 2-7 (1992) [see elsewhere under same title]
Pp.21-42 in "Environment and Society in the Japanese Islands", ed. by Philip Brown and Bruce Batten. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press., 2015
Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures, p. 1-16., Jan 2015
Joseph Ryan, as first author, has updated information about and finds of iron armor of the 3-6th ... more Joseph Ryan, as first author, has updated information about and finds of iron armor of the 3-6th centuries AD in Pen/Insular East Asia. I provided the context as second author.
This article continues the argument proposed in Barnes 2007 that Early Kofun rulership was predic... more This article continues the argument proposed in Barnes 2007 that Early Kofun rulership was predicated on knowledge of Chinese Queen Mother of the West mythology. A variety of archaeological and textual data, plus consideration of the historical circumstances in Japan’s relation to the continent, are pulled together to support the idea that the Queen Mother was both legitimator of political rulership and a ruler’s guide in the afterlife. It is shown archaeologically that the Miwa polity of the Early Kofun period was territorially circumscribed and could not have ruled over the entire western archipelago. The spread of the Mounded Tomb Culture beyond Miwa can be explained by the existence of a charismatic avatar of the Queen Mother (Himiko?) who attracted adherents for their own benefit. The Early Kofun burial system can be interpreted in terms of Queen Mother attributes, beginning with the monumental tombs themselves, their stone chambers, and the various pseudo jade objects and bronze mirrors—the most important of which bear the image of the Queen Mother herself. It is further argued that Amaterasu is likely the extension of Queen Mother ideology as reconstituted between the fifth and seventh centuries, continuing the important political functions of legitimating the rulership of historic Japan.
Chapter 10 in volume 2 of the Cambridge World Prehistory, pp. 833-851, 2014
This article mainly deals with the Bronze Age (Korea) and Mid-Late Yayoi (Japan) and their transf... more This article mainly deals with the Bronze Age (Korea) and Mid-Late Yayoi (Japan) and their transformations into early states. As these societies are protohistoric (rather than prehistoric), much documentary, as well as archaeological, material is included.
This is a summary, written by David Brook, of a lecture I gave on 12 June 2013 at the Harrow & Hi... more This is a summary, written by David Brook, of a lecture I gave on 12 June 2013 at the Harrow & Hillingdon Geological Society. It is available, without illustrations, on their website.
This article proposes a new subdiscipline, Tectonic Archaeology, based on the efforts of Japanese... more This article proposes a new subdiscipline, Tectonic Archaeology, based on the efforts of Japanese archaeologists to deal with the effects of earthquakes, volcanic tephra cover, and tsunami on archaeological sites. Tectonic Archaeology is conceived as an umbrella term for those efforts and as a foundation for Geoarchaeology in general. Comparisons distinguish between Geoarchaeology and Tectonic Archaeology, and a survey of major archaeological journals and textbooks reveals how the concept of ‘tectonics’ and specifically the processes of Plate Tectonics have been treated. Al-though the term ‘tectonics’ occurred fairly frequently, particularly as affecting coastlines and sea levels, it was not thoroughly defined and discussed. Volcanic activity was most mentioned in journals due to its provision of resources and modification of the landscape, while the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan seems to have stimulated more studies in Archaeoseismology. The textbooks were found to have scattered references to Plate Tectonic processes but no clear approach tying these together. The major exception is the Encyclopedia of Archaeology which addresses volcanoes, Archaeoseismology, and tsunami—soon to be linked together vis à vis Earth processes. Tectonic Archaeology attempts first to explain the processes of Plate Tectonics to underwrite investigation of their effects; it is applicable worldwide, in continental and coastal contexts.
Journal of the British Academy 6 (2018) DOI 10.5871/jba/006.001
For millennia, jade has been val... more Journal of the British Academy 6 (2018) DOI 10.5871/jba/006.001
For millennia, jade has been valued in many cultures in Chinese archaeology. The favoured types and sources of jade have changed over time, as has our knowledge of the stones themselves. One of the greatest problems in dealing with archaeological jades is the correct identification of the stones in order to trace their source and thereby understand the social relations underlying their patterns of procurement, production , and consumption. This paper examines the problems of identification and sourcing of Chinese archaeological jades from a worldwide point of view, dissecting terminological problems arising from mineralogy and rock geochemistry, and explicitly identifying the geological constraints on the formation of nephrite and jadeite. In particular, the role of plate tectonics in determining the occurrence of jade provides an overarching perspective on where in China jade sources might occur and how nephrite might be mined and distributed, together with its associated rocks and minerals. The latter associations are equally important to this jade sourcing endeavour.
Pp.21-42 in "Environment and Society in the Japanese Islands", ed. by Philip Brown and Bruce Batten. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press., 2015
This is the summary by Dr. David Brook of a talk I gave at the Geologists Association 7 Feb 2014 ... more This is the summary by Dr. David Brook of a talk I gave at the Geologists Association 7 Feb 2014 on how volcanic soils were used (or not) in Japan. Despite being hailed around the world as extremely fertile, the volcanic soils in Japan are acidic with low nutrients and plagued by allophane formation which sequesters water and humic materials, depriving plants of their use.
This is a summary by Dr. David Book (c) of my lecture on 15 June 2013 for the Harrow & Hillingdon... more This is a summary by Dr. David Book (c) of my lecture on 15 June 2013 for the Harrow & Hillingdon Geological Society
This is a summary of a lecture I gave to the Farnham Geological Society; it is available in their... more This is a summary of a lecture I gave to the Farnham Geological Society; it is available in their Newsletter for June 2012 at http://www.farnhamgeosoc.org.uk/
In Sintubin, M.; Stewart, I.S.; Niemi, T.M.; and Altunel, E., eds. Ancient Earthquakes. Geological Society of America Special Paper 471, p. 81-96, 2010
Ritual Poetry and the Politics of Death in Early Japan, by Gary L. Ebersole. Princeton University... more Ritual Poetry and the Politics of Death in Early Japan, by Gary L. Ebersole. Princeton University Press (1990)
Review of "Heian Japan, Centers and Peripheries". Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press, 2007.
P... more Review of "Heian Japan, Centers and Peripheries". Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press, 2007. Published in the SOAS Bulletin 71.1: 153-155, 2008.
Also published in the online book reviews of “Geoscientist” August 2019, The Geological Society of London. Available at https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/Geoscientist/Books-Arts/Geoscientist-book-reviews-online, 2020
International Journal of Asian Studies 8.2:255-6 (2011)
This is a typescript without the Chinese... more International Journal of Asian Studies 8.2:255-6 (2011)
This is a typescript without the Chinese characters as in the published version
Reviewed by Robert Borgen and Gina L. Barnes
Published in the Journal of Japanese Studies, 22:1: ... more Reviewed by Robert Borgen and Gina L. Barnes Published in the Journal of Japanese Studies, 22:1: 129–133 (1996)
Reviewed by Gina L. Barnes, published in "Antiquity" 59.225:73, March 1985.
PLUS postscript 16 J... more Reviewed by Gina L. Barnes, published in "Antiquity" 59.225:73, March 1985.
PLUS postscript 16 June 2017
Reviewed by Gina L. Barnes, published in the "Journal of The Economic and Social History of The O... more Reviewed by Gina L. Barnes, published in the "Journal of The Economic and Social History of The Orient" 37.4: 328-331 (1994).
Reviewed by Gina L. Barnes 1993, published in "Ars Orientalis" 24:168-9 (1994) with minor modific... more Reviewed by Gina L. Barnes 1993, published in "Ars Orientalis" 24:168-9 (1994) with minor modification from typescript here.
KIM Jong Il (2004) in "Journal of Inner and East Asian Studies" 1: 179-185.
William Wayne Farris... more KIM Jong Il (2004) in "Journal of Inner and East Asian Studies" 1: 179-185. William Wayne Farris (2001) in "Journal of Asian Studies" 60.3: 881-882.
Joan Piggott (2009) in "Journal of Japanese Studies" 35.2:413-419.
Ken Sasaki (xx) in "Kokogaku K... more Joan Piggott (2009) in "Journal of Japanese Studies" 35.2:413-419. Ken Sasaki (xx) in "Kokogaku Kenkyu" 56.4(224):89-91.
Janet E. Goff (1989) in "Japan Quarterly" Apr-June: 223.
J. Edward Kidder Jr. (1989) in "Monument... more Janet E. Goff (1989) in "Japan Quarterly" Apr-June: 223. J. Edward Kidder Jr. (1989) in "Monumenta Nipponica" 44.4: 524-527. Richard Pearson (1990) in "Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies" 50.2:768-775. Fumiko Ikawa-Smith (1990) in "The Journal of Asian Studies" 49.1:151-152. C. Melvin Aikens (1990) in "American Anthropologist" NS92.2:544-545. Akira GOTO (1991) in "Asian Perspectives" 30.2:267-269. Walter Edwards (1991) in "Journal of Japanese Studies" 17.1:178-185.
Reviewed by CHOO Youn-Sik in the "Journal of the Korean Archaeological Society (Hanguk Koko-Hakbo... more Reviewed by CHOO Youn-Sik in the "Journal of the Korean Archaeological Society (Hanguk Koko-Hakbo)" v. 10:341-54 (1994). Reviewed by TSUDE Hiroshi in "Antiquity" 68 (Sept 260): 675-6 (1994). Reviewed by TSUDE Hiroshi in Kokogaku Kenkyu 42.2(162):111-14 (1994). Reviewed by Anne P. Underhill in "Asian Perspectives" 34.2:312-15. Reviewed by OTSUBO Sumiko in "The Middle East and South Asia Folklore Bulletin" Spring: 3-4 (1994). Reviewed By Stan Roman in "Dacorum and Chiltern Potters Guild" newsletter
Forum Abstract: Archaeological excavations in areas heavily covered with tephra from past volcani... more Forum Abstract: Archaeological excavations in areas heavily covered with tephra from past volcanic eruptions are carried out at numerous places in the world. Japan has a named sub-discipline to demarcate such investigations from those in non-volcanic areas: kazanbai kōkogaku (7 0 6 B
In the post-war years, the palaeolithic of Japan has become one of the best documented areas of S... more In the post-war years, the palaeolithic of Japan has become one of the best documented areas of Stone Age studies. In terms of both quantity and quality, the Japanese palaeolithic record has no equal in East Asia. This paper is an up-to-date review of the western language literature, identifying new trends of research in this important area. It first examines the chronological development of research into the Japanese palaeolithic in relation to the broader palaeolithic perspective. Then regional variability is described, and attention in particular is drawn to postglacial transitions, lithic technology, behavioural archaeology, and the peopling of the New World.
that there is long-term evidence for pastoralism in the Pyrenees, and, a few early finds of plums... more that there is long-term evidence for pastoralism in the Pyrenees, and, a few early finds of plums and grain notwithstanding, that agriculture only developed in the area under the pressure of increased levels of population, possibly as late as the late Bronze .\ge (p. 66). It is good to see emphasis laid on the origins of raw materials, especially stone, in discussing site ‘catchment areas’ (p. 7) , although the writer does tend to mention ‘flints’ rather than identify types of assemblage. The description of stone circles as ‘cromlechs’ also strikes a rather dated note. The cobbled areas at VilleneuveTolosane are not all surrounded by an interrupted ditch (p. 287) . Overall, however, Bahn has produced a fascinating mine of titbits and ideas, from wood technology to tunnel-sites, and is to be congratulated on such a well-researched volume.
light of the changing present. T o do this we must admit those previously thought unworthy of con... more light of the changing present. T o do this we must admit those previously thought unworthy of controlling or guarding it. As Eric Willmot says, Australian Aboriginals are no longer a separate indigenous nation, but part of an Australian nation. ‘As such they own the future, and the past belongs to the past and the story-tellers. Aborigines are determined, in the future, to be among the storytellers’ (p. 48). This thoughtful and thought-provoking book, carefully edited by Isabel McBryde, whose introduction skilfully blends the new and the old, the familiar and the less familiar, deserves a wide and-dare one say-multicultural audience. I . v. s . M E G A W and M . R U T H M E G A W
This article continues the argument proposed in Barnes 2007 that Early Kofun rulership was predic... more This article continues the argument proposed in Barnes 2007 that Early Kofun rulership was predicated on knowledge of Chinese Queen Mother of the West mythology. A variety of archaeological and textual data, plus consideration of the historical circumstances in Japan’s relation to the continent, are pulled together to support the idea that the Queen Mother was both legitimator of political rulership and a ruler’s guide in the afterlife. It is shown archaeologically that the Miwa polity of the Early Kofun period was territorially circumscribed and could not have ruled over the entire western archipelago. The spread of the Mounded Tomb Culture beyond Miwa can be explained by the existence of a charismatic avatar of the Queen Mother (Himiko?) who attracted adherents for their own benefit. The Early Kofun burial system can be interpreted in terms of Queen Mother attributes, beginning with the monumental tombs themselves, their stone chambers, and the various pseudo jade objects and bronze mirrors—the most important of which bear the image of the Queen Mother herself. It is further argued that Amaterasu is likely the extension of Queen Mother ideology as reconstituted between the fifth and seventh centuries, continuing the important political functions of legitimating the rulership of historic Japan.
This review essay mainly compares two articles by G.L. Barnes on Japanese geology, previously pub... more This review essay mainly compares two articles by G.L. Barnes on Japanese geology, previously published in Japan Review (2003, 2008), with a series of articles on ‘New Paradigms’ in Japanese plate tectonics published in Chigaku zasshi in 2009–2010. The first purpose is to update and add new details to flesh out the previous Japan Review overviews. A discussion about collisional and accretionary tectonics then follows, outlining problems of interpretation by scholars coming from different academic backgrounds (Alpine geology and subduction-zone geology). This text is highly technical, based on the previous offerings which should be read first. Japanese geologists are forging ahead in determining new ways to measure and interpret geological processes in a subduction zone. The Japanese archipelago, composed of twenty seven geological belts, is affected by movement of four different plates: two oceanic plates subducting under the main islands, and the islands themselves apportioned between two continental plates. The 500 million year history of the formation of the Japanese landmass is of great general and theoretical interest but not well covered in formal textbooks. Thus, scientific papers such as the Chigaku zasshi offerings in Japanese as well as those in English published in the prominent geology journals must be synthesized to gain an understanding of this region. Since these subduction-zone movements have given rise to modern volcanoes and earthquakes, that understanding forms a crucial background for disaster management. New research mentioned herein includes zircon-dating of sediments in accretionary complexes, identification of “second continent” formations in the mantle, and tectonic erosion/accretion alternation.
Uploads
My Books & single-authored monographs by Gina Barnes
Edited volumes by Gina Barnes
http://archaeopress.com/ArchaeopressShop/Public/displayProductDetail.asp?id={03CEF6AB-844E-4EBE-93BE-A222A45D4E82}
[http://www.archaeopress.com/ArchaeopressShop/Public/defaultAll.asp?QuickSearch=The+Miwa+Project&displayedSearchLanguageID=true&LanguageID=0]
The work is copyright by Gina L. Barnes & Masaaki OKITA. The illustrations can be used in other publications, given appropriate citation.
I have uploaded here the Table of Contents (ToC) and those parts of the report for which I am author or co-author. The full report contains tremendous more information including all the excavation data in appendices.
The work at the Miwa site required an excavation permit. I was encouraged by my Japanese colleagues to apply for it under my own name. To my knowledge, this is the first and only excavation permit granted to a foreigner not employed in Japan. I am sad that no one else seems to have followed suit. Mind you, I worked with these colleagues for 15 years before establishing the project, and it takes this kind of networking and building of relationships with colleagues before such a thing can happen. Speaking fluent Japanese was also essential.
The constructs and analyses used by many of the Japanese authors are somewhat different to Western practices. They are useful to understand the way archaeology was conducted in Japan. Note, however, that this volume is now 20 years old; things have changed.
In particular, all the affiliations and contact information of authors are likely to be out of date. Please double check before attributing anything.
GLB 29jan’15
https://www.press.umich.edu/18628/windows_on_the_japanese_past
http://archaeopress.com/ArchaeopressShop/Public/displayProductDetail.asp?id={03CEF6AB-844E-4EBE-93BE-A222A45D4E82}
[http://www.archaeopress.com/ArchaeopressShop/Public/defaultAll.asp?QuickSearch=The+Miwa+Project&displayedSearchLanguageID=true&LanguageID=0]
The work is copyright by Gina L. Barnes & Masaaki OKITA. The illustrations can be used in other publications, given appropriate citation.
I have uploaded here the Table of Contents (ToC) and those parts of the report for which I am author or co-author. The full report contains tremendous more information including all the excavation data in appendices.
The work at the Miwa site required an excavation permit. I was encouraged by my Japanese colleagues to apply for it under my own name. To my knowledge, this is the first and only excavation permit granted to a foreigner not employed in Japan. I am sad that no one else seems to have followed suit. Mind you, I worked with these colleagues for 15 years before establishing the project, and it takes this kind of networking and building of relationships with colleagues before such a thing can happen. Speaking fluent Japanese was also essential.
The constructs and analyses used by many of the Japanese authors are somewhat different to Western practices. They are useful to understand the way archaeology was conducted in Japan. Note, however, that this volume is now 20 years old; things have changed.
In particular, all the affiliations and contact information of authors are likely to be out of date. Please double check before attributing anything.
GLB 29jan’15
https://www.press.umich.edu/18628/windows_on_the_japanese_past
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Formally, the Farming/Language Dispersal hypothesis as applied to Japan relates to the introduction of agriculture and spread of the Japanese language (between ca. 500 BC–AD 800). We review current data from genetics, archaeology, and linguistics in relation to this hypothesis. However, evidence bases for these disciplines are drawn from different periods. Genetic data have primarily been sampled from present-day Japanese and prehistoric Jōmon peoples (14,000–300 BC), preceding the introduction of rice agriculture. The best archaeological evidence for agriculture comes from western Japan during the Yayoi period (ca. 900 BC–AD 250), but little is known about northeastern Japan, which is a focal point here. And despite considerable hypothesizing about prehistoric language, the spread of historic lan- guages/ dialects through the islands is more accessible but difficult to relate to prehistory. Though the lack of Yayoi skeletal material available for DNA analysis greatly inhibits direct study of how the pre-agricul- tural Jōmon peoples interacted with rice agriculturalists, our review of Jōmon genetics sets the stage for further research into their relationships. Modern linguistic research plays an unexpected role in bringing Izumo (Shimane Prefecture) and the Japan Sea coast into consideration in the populating of northeastern Honshu by agriculturalists beyond the Kantō region.
For millennia, jade has been valued in many cultures in Chinese archaeology. The favoured types and sources of jade have changed over time, as has our knowledge of the stones themselves. One of the greatest problems in dealing with archaeological jades is the correct identification of the stones in order to trace their source and thereby understand the social relations underlying their patterns of procurement, pro duction, and consumption. This paper examines the problems of identification and sourcing of Chinese archaeological jades from a worldwide point of view, dissecting terminological problems arising from mineralogy and rock geochemistry, and expli citly identifying the geological constraints on the formation of nephrite and jadeite. In particular, the role of plate tectonics in determining the occurrence of jade provides an overarching perspective on where in China jade sources might occur and how nephrite might be mined and distributed, together with its associated rocks and minerals. The latter associations are equally important to this jade sourcing endeavour.
This is an analysis of how ceramic types are determined in Japanese archaeology.
Sherds for analysis provided by CHOO Youn-Sik and incorporated into the Ashmolean Museum collection by Mary Tregear.
[Announcements of the East Asian Archaeology Network,
subsequently the Society for East Asian Archaeology www.SEAA-web.org]
For millennia, jade has been valued in many cultures in Chinese archaeology. The favoured types and sources of jade have changed over time, as has our knowledge of the stones themselves. One of the greatest problems in dealing with archaeological jades is the correct identification of the stones in order to trace their source and thereby understand the social relations underlying their patterns of procurement, production , and consumption. This paper examines the problems of identification and sourcing of Chinese archaeological jades from a worldwide point of view, dissecting terminological problems arising from mineralogy and rock geochemistry, and explicitly identifying the geological constraints on the formation of nephrite and jadeite. In particular, the role of plate tectonics in determining the occurrence of jade provides an overarching perspective on where in China jade sources might occur and how nephrite might be mined and distributed, together with its associated rocks and minerals. The latter associations are equally important to this jade sourcing endeavour.
Published in the SOAS Bulletin 71.1: 153-155, 2008.
This is a typescript without the Chinese characters as in the published version
Published in the Journal of Japanese Studies, 22:1: 129–133 (1996)
PLUS postscript 16 June 2017
William Wayne Farris (2001) in "Journal of Asian Studies" 60.3: 881-882.
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Reviewed by TSUDE Hiroshi in "Antiquity" 68 (Sept 260): 675-6 (1994).
Reviewed by TSUDE Hiroshi in Kokogaku Kenkyu 42.2(162):111-14 (1994).
Reviewed by Anne P. Underhill in "Asian Perspectives" 34.2:312-15.
Reviewed by OTSUBO Sumiko in "The Middle East and South Asia Folklore Bulletin" Spring: 3-4 (1994).
Reviewed By Stan Roman in "Dacorum and Chiltern Potters Guild" newsletter