Jomon sedentism and intersite variability: Collectors of the early Jomon Moroiso phase in Japan

This paper examines residential mobility of prehistoric Jomon hunter-gatherers in Japan. Despite the common assumption of Jomon people as fully sedentary, living in permanent residential bases year-round, Jomon settlement systems are in fact poorly understood. In this paper, intersite variability in lithic assemblages and site size are used to interpret Early Jomon Moroiso phase subsistence-settlement systems. The results of the analysis indicate that, while the Moroiso phase people were relatively sedentary, they did not necessarily remain in the same settlement throughout the year. These results are then used to address the question of the development of sedentism and cultural complexity through the Jomon Period.