Japan in the Ancient World 

Japanese archaeologists divide the earliest part of Japanese history into four periods: the Paleolithic (preceramic) period, the Jomon (cord-marked pottery) period, the Yayoi period, and the Kofun (burial mound) period. Underlying this chronology, however, are two basic problems: First, who are the Japanese, and where did they come from? Second, how do the Japanese or "proto-Japanese" relate to the Ainu, a group of people who have resided in Japan since about 7500 B.C.E. but differ racially, culturally, and linguistically from modern Japanese in significant ways? 

Paleolithic Japan (before 10,000 B.C.E.)

The Japanese islands have probably been occupied by humans for at least 30,000 years, if not longer. However, 10,000 years ago, Paleolithic Japan was a cooler place, and the sea level was 125 feet (38 meters) lower; therefore, some of the archaeological evidence of the earliest inhabitants is submerged. These hunters and gatherers, who had an extensive stone-tool inventory, most likely came to southern Japan through present-day Korea or to northern Japan from eastern Siberia, though there is abundant evidence of land connections to Asia at this time throughout the islands. It appears that the complete physical separation of the Japanese islands occurred only as recently as 18,000 to 12,000 years ago.

Jomon period (c. 10,000-c. 300 B.C.E.)

Starting about 13,000 years ago, when the Japanese climate began to warm, beautiful local pottery traditions—characterized by complex impressions made by twisted cords or sticks on the outside of pots before baking—abruptly appeared at various locales. Such ceramics eventually became commonplace throughout the islands. The Jomon people (named for this distinctive "cord-marked" ceramic style) were probably the direct descendants of the people of the previous Paleolithic traditions. They were very successful at hunting, fishing, and gathering, and because of the numerous rivers and rugged coastlines, they were largely sedentary. Shell mounds all over the islands indicate how extensively the ocean and rivers were exploited by Jomon people. The Jomon pottery eventually came to show distinctive regional styles, suggesting the existence of rather well-defined cultural groups and local folk traditions.

Yayoi (c. 300 B.C.E.-c. 300 C.E.)

About two thousand years ago, a distinct break occurred in the archaeological record. In Kyushu, the southernmost main island of Japan, bronze from the Korean peninsula and a newer style of earthenware pottery appeared, and iron smelting was developed. These changes characterize the Yayoi period, named after the district in modern Tokyo where certain artifacts were first discovered. The Yayoi period also saw the beginning of Japanese-style intensive irrigated wet-rice cultivation, which became the main means of subsistence for almost everyone on the islands. This agrarian rice-based economy—with basically the same kind of farming practices—would persist until Japan's westernization in the late nineteenth century.

However, controversy surrounds the origins of this culture. The Yayoi people may have come from overseas and replaced the earlier Jomon people (as evidenced by the presence of many new technologies from abroad). For many years, Japanese archaeologists have assumed this to be true, with the implication being that the Jomon people are the ancestors of modern Ainu, and modern Japanese are the descendants of those who migrated from the Asian mainland during the Yayoi and Kofun periods. However, a majority of archaeologists feel that the record probably indicates a gradual but direct continuity from Jomon people to early, but historically identifiable, Japanese, with any migration from the mainland blending in with the local cultures. In either case, by the end of the Yayoi period, certain institutional structures were in place—a division of labor, the accumulation of prestige and luxury goods by particular individuals, and the rise of complex political organizations—which created a more stratified society, allowing for the development of a full-fledged Japanese state in the Kofun period.

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/japan-ancient-world 

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Lord of the Plants:
Death Metal Eco-Baron Rewilds Irish Estate

Randal Plunkett, the 21st Baron of Dunsany, strides out of his Irish castle in a T-shirt bearing the name of death metal band "Cannibal Corpse" in bloody lettering.

In the distance, a russet-coloured stag appears for a moment, before dissolving into the 750 acres (300 hectares) of ancestral estate Plunkett has surrendered to the wilderness -- almost half of his lands.

"I felt a sort of sense of duty towards the environment here," said Plunkett, perched on a decaying tree trunk sprouting a clutch of mushrooms.

"I'm a caretaker of this estate for this generation and the estate is not just the castle, it's also the land but it's also the environment," the aristocrat told AFP, his mane of shoulder-length hair rippling in the breeze.

Eight years ago, death metal fan Plunkett, whose family have presided over Dunsany Castle northwest of Dublin for nine centuries, began his "radical" rewilding project.

The 38-year-old vegan, an unlikely successor to ancestors depicted in sober portraits lining the walls of the grey stone castle, evicted livestock and dismissed lawnmowers to allow nature to take its course.

Now, the results are plain. The ultra-rare pine marten has been spotted. Otters and red deer thrive.

Skies are jammed with birds: buzzards, red kites, peregrine falcons, sparrowhawks, kestrels and snipes.

Plunkett says a woodpecker has been sighted in the area for the first time in a century.

Beyond the castle crenellations, the lawn is transformed into a swirling morass of 23 species of grass, fizzing with insect life.

Plunkett lends a hand here and there -- planting 2,500 trees last year was no small feat -- but mostly he is hands-off.

"As I watched it, I began to understand what the land was doing," he said after trudging across a field of knotted undergrowth in a faux leather jacket.

"It became a rewilding project," he said, as two Jack Russell terriers named Beavis and Butt-head gambol around his vegan-friendly Doc Martens boots.

Fonte: https://www.theyouthtimes.com/news-details/21284/