Before the Kofun Period

The Old Stone Age

Sea Level

I have learned about it as follows:

• During the Old Stone Age, global climate was much colder than today and a lot of sea water was kept on land as ice or snow
• Sea level was much lower than today and large-sized animals including elephants habitated present Setonaikai Sea.

Natural environment in the Paleolithic seem not to have been directly related to Iwase-senzuka. However, I think I need to remember that the first people from the continent came to the proto-Japanese Islands in the period.

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The Jomon Period

Periodization of the Jomon Period

I have learned the Jomon Period is generally divided into the next six periods.

• the incipient Jomon Period: 16,500 to 11,500 years ago
• the initial Jomon Period: 11,500 to 7,000 years ago
• the early Jomon Period: 7,000 to 5,500 years ago
• the middle Jomon Period: 5,500 to 4,400 years ago
• the late Jomon Period: 4,400 to 3,200 years ago
• the final Jomon Period: 3,200 to 2,300 years ago

◇ The Jomon Period in Japan is correspond to the New Stone Age in the world.

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Some fundamental understanding of mine about the Jomon Period

• When the global climate drastically began to change into warmer one around 11,700 years ago, natural environment around the Japanese Islands also turned into temperate one. That was the beginning of the Holocene epoch.
  • Sea level rose and the Japanese Islands were perfectly detached from the continent.
  • Large-sized animals became extinct and middle-sized animals like sika deer and wild bores thrived.
• Jomon people were hunter-gatherers.
  • They hunted middle-sized and small-sized animals in deciduous broad-leaved forests and evergreen broad-leaved forests by using bow and arrows, and others.
  • They gathered fish including shellfish and edible wild plants.
  • They were able to cook food with rudimentary earthenware called "Jomon pottery."
  • It is said that they did not make wars.
• The Jomon Period lasted for as long as 9,000 years.
  • In other words, the period continued for 90 centuries.
  • Environmental conditions during the Jomon period were not always the same and rather cold stages sometimes elapsed.
  • Sea level kept on rising until around 7,000 years ago and the highest one was a few meters higher than the present one. As a result, flatlands were formed at the mouths of rivers.
  • Climate change including volcanic activity directly affected Jomon people's life. They must have been in awe of nature.

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During the Kofun Period

The Situation on the Korean Peninsula

It is needless to say that the Korean Peninsula circumstances have deeply influenced Japan since the end of the New Stone Age. Also in the Kofun Period, power struggles among countries in the peninsula directly affected the policy of the Yamato sovereign, because the proto central government of Japan relied on the region for iron. I would like to review those countries briefly here.

Bare essentials in my understanding are as follows.

Gaya Countries

• Gaya Countries were small states which existed from the 1st century to the mid 6th century in the most southern part of the Korean Peninsula.
• They are called by several different names.
• The region was blessed with iron and natural harbors. Wa (proto-Japan) imported iron by boat from there.
• Gaya Countries were gradually annexed to Silla and Paekche and collapsed in 562.

Baekje

• Baekje was established in the northern part of Mahan in the middle of the 4th century.
• In 475, Goguryeo threatened Baekje to relocate the capital to Unjin.
• In 538, Baekje relocated the capital to Sabi.
• The royal family of Baekje is said to be related to Gokuryeo.
• Baekje had a close relationship with Japan and exerted considerable influence on Japanese ancient culture development, including introduction of Buddhism to Japan.
• In 660, Baekje was overthrown by Tang and Silla.

Silla

• The first unified dynasty in Korea.
• In the middle of the 4th century (356), Saro founded Silla by consolidating 12 countries of Jinhan in the south-eastern part of the Korean Peninsula.
• In the 7th century, Silla allied to Tang, and achieved unification of the peninsula after overthrowing Baekje and Gokuryeo.
• Silla emulated Tang and increased political centralization.
• In 935, Wang Jian of Goryeo submitted Gyeongsun of Silla (the final ruler of Silla).

Goguryeo

• One of three kingdoms of ancient Korea.
• Chumo, a leader of one of the Buyeo tribes, founded Buyeo by the first century BCE.
• Goguryoe conquered Lelang Commandery and possessed the northern part of the Korean Peninsula in 313.
• The capital city was relocated to Pyongyang in 427.
• Goguryoe entered a golden age in the days of Gwanggaeto the Great and his two successors (from the end of the 4th century to the 6th century).
• Goguryoe was defeated by allied forces of Tang and Silla defeated in 668.

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Large-sized Kofun in Japan

When thinking about Iwase-senzuka history, it is clearly beneficial to have knowledge of historical circumstances in the Japanese Islands during the Kofun Period. The distribution of large-sized kofun must contain something helpful about that. The list of kofun which are 200 meters long or more is as follows. (Kofun Name indicates that the kofun is an imperial mausoleum, or ryobo in Japanese, which is designated by the Imperioal Household Agency.)

The 3rd Century

In the southern part of the Nara Basin

• Hashihaka Kofun (276m, the mid 3rd C) at Makimuku Kofun Cluster, Sakurai City
• Sakurai Chausu-yama Kofun (208m, the late 3rd C after Hashihaka) at Tomi-yama Kofun Cluster, Sakurai City
• Nishi-tonozuka Kofun (234m, the late 3rd C) at Kayo Kofun Cluster, Tenri City
• Mesuri-yama Kofun (230m, the late 3rd C or the beginning of the 4th C) at Tomi-yama Kofun Cluster, Sakurai City

The 4th Century

In the southern part of the Nara Basin

• Andon-yama Kofun (242m, the 1st half of the 4th C) at Yanagimoto Kofun Cluster, Tenri City
• Shibutani-mukai-yama Kofun (300m. the 2nd half of the 4th C) at Yanagimoto Kofun Cluster, Tenri City
• Shima-no-yama Kofun (200m, around the end of the 4th C or the beginning of the 5th C) at Umami Kofun Cluster, Kawanishi Town, Nara Prefecture
• Su-yama Kofun (204/220m, around the end of the 4th C or the beginning of the 5th C) at Umami Kofun Cluster, Koryo Town, Nara Prefecture

In the northern part of the Nara Basin

• Saki-misasagi-yama Kofun (207m, the 2nd half of the 4th C) at Saki-tatanami Kofun Cluster, Nara City
• Saki-ishizuka-yama Kofun (218m, the 2nd half of the 4th C) at Saki-tatanami Kofun Cluster, Nara City
• Gosashi Kofun (275m, the 4th C) at Saki-tatanami Kofun Cluster, Nara City

At Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group in Osaka Prefecture

• Tsudo-shiro-yama Kofun (210m, the 2nd half of the 4th C) at Furuichi Kofun Cluster, Fujiidera City
• Nakatsu-yama Kofun (290m, around the end of the 4th C) at Furuichi Kofun Cluster, Fujiidera City

In Osaka Prefecture

• Mayu-yama Kofun (200m, the 2nd half of the 4th C) in Kishiwada City

At other places in Japan

• Amino-choshi-yama Kofun (201m, the late 4th C or the beginning of the 5th C) in Kyotango City in Kyoto Prefecture

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