縄文

• Reading: じょうもん
• Romaji: jōmon
• Kanji breakdown: 縄 (jō/nawa) — rope, cord; 文 (mon/bun) — pattern, writing, culture
• Pronunciation: /dʑoː.moɴ/

Meaning

The Jōmon period; Japan's prehistoric era (c. 14,000–300 BCE) characterised by cord-patterned pottery and a hunter-gatherer culture.

A historical noun referring to Japan's earliest known cultural period. 縄文時代 is defined by the distinctive 縄文土器 (cord-marked pottery), among the world's oldest ceramics. The Jōmon people sustained themselves by hunting, gathering, and fishing. The period ended with the arrival of the Yayoi culture from the continent, which introduced wet-rice agriculture. The word literally means 'rope pattern'.

Examples

1. 縄文時代の土器は世界最古の陶磁器の一つとされている。 Jōmon-period pottery is considered to be among the oldest ceramics in the world.
2. 縄文人は縄文時代を通じて狩猟と採集によって生活していた。 Jōmon people lived by hunting and gathering throughout the Jōmon period.
3. 縄文遺跡の発掘調査から、当時の食生活が明らかになってきた。 Excavations of Jōmon sites have been shedding light on the dietary habits of that era.

Usage Guide

Context: archaeology, Japanese history, prehistory, education, museums

Tone: academic

Origin & History

The name 縄文 comes from 縄 (rope, cord) and 文 (pattern), describing the characteristic cord-impressed designs pressed into the pottery's surface. The term was coined by American zoologist and archaeologist Edward S. Morse after excavating the Ōmori shell mound in 1877.

Cultural Context

Era: Prehistoric (14,000–300 BCE)

Generation: Students and academics

Social background: Universal