A STUDY ON TEMPO-SPATIAL CHANGE OF INTERACTION BETWEEN 
THE HUMAN ACTIVITY AND PALEO ENVIRONMENT IN JOMON PERIOD, JAPAN 
N. Watanabe 
College of Humanities, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto Kasugai Aichi, Japan 
nov@isc.chubu.ac.jp 
Commission V, WG IV 
KEY WORDS: Archaeology, Environment, GIS, Human Settlement, Land Use, Analysis, Interpretation, Visualization 
ABSTRACT: 
This paper refers to the prehistorical interaction of human and environments through the reconstruction of spatial structure of the 
site- catchment over the archaeological sites. The aim of the study is to examine the prehistorical living to find a hint for symbiosis 
lifestyle, which is a big interest for modern society. Prehistoric period (Jomon period) of Aichi prefecture in Tokai region, Japan is 
selected as a case study area. The different reaction of Jomon settlements against the global environmental change occurred in the 
period was considered. The consideration pointed out the conditions and factors which influence the environmental endurance of the 
settlements. The reconstruction of the site-catchment was implemented based on the geoinformatics technology, especially by 
utilizing GIS as a supportive measure. The spatially analysed results were translated into realistic representation by Computer 
Graphics. The integration of spatially analysed results and the archaeological knowledge have deepened the understanding of the 
prehistorical events. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
1.1 Prehistorical Study and Modern Society 
Human activities have expanded drastically in these few centuries. 
Modern leap of human activity which started with the industrial 
revolution, in other words “modernization”, was the driving force 
of expanding. “Technology” has kept improving day by day from 
then, and still shows no sign of slowing down. It is true that these 
advanced technologies have brought convenience to the world, 
but it is not negligible that it is causing global environmental 
problems at the same time. The constitutive problem of 
modernization is in its loss of sustainability. This tendency is 
strengthened with the economic principle lying beneath the 
modern society. World is currently going through an urgent 
situation in this sense. Heightened sense of crisis is now 
encouraging the exploration toward the ecological way of living, 
environmental conservation, and way to construct sustainable 
society. This exploration is facing difficulties, because the answer 
has to be searched in a context different from the modern society. 
Some of the answers can be searched in the history. Historical 
study can give some examples of sustainable way of living, which 
was practiced by the ancient people. Especially, prehistorical 
study is focusing its interest on the period which most of the 
people were living in symbiosis and sustainable lifestyle. Of 
course the ancient lifestyle cannot be applied directly to the 
modern society. Even though, the statement of historical study 
can be useful because its consideration is based on “regionality”. 
Lifestyle is fostered through the accumulation of temporally 
continuous activity of culture, religion, and all the matter 
concerned with living which took place in the “region”. 
Sustainable lifestyle may differ by its belonging regionality, and 
it does not necessarily mean that there is a common lifestyle to 
satisfy the sustainability. Prehistoric living of the region can be 
considered as a start point of the regional society, and most basic 
lifestyle for keeping both natural environment and human life 
style in sustainable condition. 
1.2 Aim of the Study 
Aim of the study is to clarify the prehistoric tempo-spatial 
change of interaction between human and environments from 
the context of symbiosis lifestyle and its environmental 
endurance. It is well known that there is a rise and fall of the 
prehistorical living resulted from the environmental changes. 
The study will examine the difference and its temporal change 
of the environmental endurance among prehistorical sites. 
Environmental endurance will be considered through the 
reconstruction of spatial structure of internal (in-territory) 
environment. The final goal of the study is to quantify (or to 
model) the prehistorical living in aspect of spatial structure, 
interaction, conformity of the activity (food-gathering activity) 
for the region, and environmental endurance. The quantification 
may indicate a tangible and comparable criterion between 
sustainable lifestyle and the subsequent lifestyle. Also the 
effectiveness of Geo-Informatics technologies as a supportive 
measure for studying and quantifying of prehistorical 
interaction between human and environments will be evaluated. 
1.3 Case Study 
1.3.1 Focusing Period 
Case study area is prehistorical period in Tokai-Region, Japan. 
The focusing period is called Jomon period, which continued 
from 10,000 BC to 300 BC. Jomon period is divided into 5 
stages: Subearliest (10,000 BC — 7,000 BC), Earliest (7,000 BC 
— 4,000 BC), Early (4,000 BC - 3,000 BC), Middle (3,000 BC - 
2.000 BC), Late (2000-1000), and Final (1,000 BC-300 BC). 
The period is regarded as a substratum culture of Japan by some 
of the researchers (e.g. Sasaki, 1986; Yasuda, 1987). It is also 
particularly worth noting that Jomon period was based on 
highly sustainable lifestyle, which enabled the culture to 
continue for a long period of time (i.e. about 10,000 years). In 
this sense, clarification of the Jomon period may be considered 
   
   
     
    
    
  
    
   
  
  
    
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
    
   
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
   
     
  
    
   
   
    
   
   
   
  
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