Pre-Historic Japan Flashcards
Who are the Ainu People
The Ainu are the indigenous people of Japan who descended from Caucasian hunter-gatherers from Western Asia and Eastern Europe who crossed over land bridges in the last ice age. They make up the first Japanese era known as the Jomon period.
When did the Ainu Arrive in Japan
35 000 BCE
When was the Jomon Period
14 000 BCE - 400 BCE
Why was the Jomon Period Significant
This period, specifically 2500 BCE - 300 BCE, brought an increase in technical and artistic skills along with the rising importance of ritual practices.
Which period followed the Jomon
The Yayoi period (800 BCE - 200 CE)
Why was the Yayoi Period significant
They introduced rice-growing and metalworking allowing for population expansion and an increase in weapons and armour production for military purposes
What happened to Social Classes in the Yayoi period
Social classes became more advanced as society became more stratified and complex along with rich land owners gaining more power
What period followed the Yayoi
The Kofun period (250 CE - 538 CE)
Why was the Kofun period significant
It involved Japan’s earliest recording of a centralized political centralization
How were the Kofun people different?
They had genetic characteristics widely found in East Asians and not in the Yayoi people.
What period make up Pre-Historic Japan
The Jomon, Yayoi and Kofun
