| Abstract: |
In the Japanese archipelago, the transition from foraging to farming occurred at about 500 BC. From this time, there was intensive interaction between foragers and farmers and cultural elements from both groups became intertwined in complex social exchanges. This interaction is suggested archaeologically by the elaborate pottery which was manufactured in eastern Japan as a type of luxury item. This paper discusses the cross-dating of ceramics from eastern and western Japan during the Jomon-Yayoi transition, the meaning or meanings of discoveries of pottery from eastern Japan found in the western archipelago, and the role of pottery from eastern Japan in the formation of Yayoi culture. It is argued that Yayoi culture was formed through a complex process of widespread interaction which included the Jomon cultures of the eastern archipelago.
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