| Abstract: |
The aim of this dissertation is to examine ways to apply ethnoarchaeological models to prehistoric archaeological data. Although there has been a large number of ethnoarchaeological studies, few have contributed to the interpretation of archaeological data. This is partially because most ethnoarchaeological studies are not based on well-defined archaeological problems (or patterns in archaeological data to be interpreted), and fail to control for the conditions on which the ethnoarchaeological models are based. To overcome the problem, the present study focused on selecting appropriate ethnoarchaeological models for interpreting well-defined archaeological problems. Rice culture areas were selected as the major field of research because in this area the staple rice and side dishes are strictly differentiated in cooking and serving and because rice cooking methods are very characteristic and show less variation than other major cereals and side dishes. Thus, the degree of differentiation between rice and side dishes are comparable among cultures both ethnographically and archaeologically. The present study set forth two major archaeological problems to which ethnoarchaeological models were to be applied: (1) changes in cooking techniques from Jomon foragers to Yayoi rice farmers, and (2) the degree of dietary differentiation into the staple rice and side dishes during the Yayoi period. By using these ethnoarchaeological models, the present study demonstrated the following points concerning cooking techniques in the Jomon and Yayoi periods. First, changes in vessel shape, volume, and wall thickness from Jomon to Yayoi cooking pots fit the previously documented changes in major foodstuffs from nuts to rice. Second, the increased degree of morphological differentiation from Jomon to Yayoi cooking pots indicates greater dietary differentiation into rice and side dishes during the Yayoi period. Third, distinctive differences in both vessel shape and volume of Yayoi cooking pots indicates that side dish cooking methods had begun to contrast with rice cooking in terms of water level and intensity of heating. These facts suggest that specialized rice cooking pots were established as the dietary importance of rice increased.
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