1. Morphological characters

2. Languages

3. Culture
     Craftsmanship    Religion  

4. Descendants
     Ainu people    Emishi    Ryukyuan people    Yamato people    Siberian populations  

5. Genetics
     Proposed Origin   Paternal lineages  Maternal lineages  ATL retrovirus  

6. References

Morphological characters

On average, many Jōmon adult men were about 155 cm (5 ft) and adult women were less than 150 cm (4.9 ft). Many have so-called engraved deep facial features, the inter-eyebrows protrude, and the base of the nose is retracted. They have thick eyebrows, large eyes, double eyelids and somewhat thick chin bones.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

It is suggested that they belong to the Proto-Mongoloid type, similar to Native Americans.{{Citation needed|date=January 2019}}

Anthropologic studies suggest that the Jomon were not a homogenous group. While the majority of Hokkaido- and Honshu-Jomon show Ainu-like phenotypes, the Jomon in Kyushu, Shikoku and parts of southern Honshu show similarities to East-Asian phenotypes.^[4][5]

Languages

Currently (2019) it is not known what language or languages were spoken during the Jomon period. Suggested languages are: The Ainu language, Japonic languages, Tungusic languages, Austronesian languages, Paleosiberian languages or unknown and today extinct languages.^[6][7]

While the most supported view is to equate the Ainu language with the Jomon language this view is not unproblematic as at least four tribes in central- and western-Japan are believed to have spoken a Tungusic language, at least three tribes in Kyushu and Okinawa an Austronesian language and it is not know if there were other groups with different languages too.^[8]

Culture

The culture of the Jomon people is known as "Jōmon culture". It was largely based on food collection but it is suggested that Jomon people practiced early agriculture. They gathered tree nuts and shellfish, laid the foundations for living such as hunting and fishing, and also made some cultivation. They used stoneware and pottery, and lived in a pit dwelling.^[9]

Some elements of modern Japanese culture may come from one or more of the Jomon groups. Among these elements are the precursors to Shinto, some marriage customs, architectural styles, and technological developments such as lacquerware, laminated yumi, metalworking, and glass making.

Craftsmanship

There is evidence that the Jomon people built ships out of big trees and used them for Fishing and traveling. There is no agreement if they used sails or paddles.^[10] The Jomon also used Obsidan, Jade and different kinds of wood.^[11]

Religion

The religion of at least some Jomon people was early Shintoism. (See Ko-Shintō) It was largely based on animism and possibly shamanism. Some historians link it to the Ainu religion as well, but this view is not undisputed.

Descendants

This section deals with the suggested descendants of the people during the Jomon period.

Ainu people

It is generally agreed that the Ainu people are the direct descendants of the Jomon people. Although the Ainu show some influence from the Okhotsk people, a genetic study shows that the Hokkaido Ainu share most of their genome with ancient Jomon samples from northern Honshu and Hokkaido.^[12]

Emishi

The Emishi, a former non-Yamato group in Honshu, are often linked to the Ainu people, but several historians suggest that they were their own Jomon group and did not share close cultural connections to the people of Hokkaido.

The Emishi were probably also not a single group. Tribes like the Koshibito and Saeki people are suggested to be of Tungusic origin and are not related to the Ainu. While the Koshibito and Saeki people lived during the Jomon period in Japan and are thus classificated as "Jomon people" they do not share the Ainu-like ancestry.^[13]

Ryukyuan people

The Ryukyuan people are regarded as a mixture of local Jomon people and migrants from China and Korea (see Yayoi people). The Jomon ancestry (Ainu-like ancestry) in Ryukyuans is estimated at approximately 28%.^[14] Some other studies show a higher amount in some individuals.^[15]

Yamato people

The Yamato Japanese are mostly descended from the Yayoi people but also have admixture from the Jomon people. It is estimated that the Jomon ancestry (Ainu-like ancestry) is less than 20%.^[16] Another study estimates the Jomon ancestry (Ainu-like ancestry) in people from Tokyo at approximately 12%.^[17]

Siberian populations

Some ethnic groups in southeastern Siberia, such as the Ulch people, the Nivkh people and the Itelmens, show some Ainu-like genome informations. It is suggested that ancient Jomon people migrated to parts of Siberia and mixed with the local population.^[18]

Genetics

(see: Genetic history of East Asians)

Proposed Origin

The origin of the Jomon people and their ancestors is disputed. Several theories suggested Southeast Asia or Northeast Asia as possible place of origin. Another theory supported an origin in East Asia.

Newest genetic studies (since 2017) conclude that the Jomon are the last descedants of an unique group of ancient people. The study suggests an ancient origin in modern Central Asia.^[19][20]

Paternal lineages

It is thought that the haplogroups D1b and C1a1 were frequent in Jōmon people. In fact, a Jōmon man excavated from Rebun Island was found to belong to Haplogroup D1b2a(D-CTS 220).^[21] Haplogroup D1b is found in about 38% and haplogroup C1a1 in about 10%^[20] of modern Japanese people. C1a1 has its highest amount in Tokushima Prefecture at about 17%, followed by Okinawa Prefecture and Tokyo at about 8-9%.^[22] In addition, it is assumed that the haplogroup C2 existed in a small amount of Jōmon people.^[23]

Haplogroup D-M174 is common in modern Japanese, Tibetans, Pumi, Nakhi and Andamanese tribes. A medium distribution of haplogroup D is also found in Central Asia and other minority groups in southern China.^[24] Haplogroup C1a1 is found in Jomon people, modern Japanese, Paleolithic and Neolithic Europe and in very few samples of modern Europeans, Georgians and Arabs. Mitsuru Sakitani said that C1a1's ancestral type possibly reached Japan via the Korean Peninsula via Altai Mountains from South-west Asia.^[25]

Maternal lineages

ATL retrovirus

The gene related to Jōmon people is a retrovirus of ATL (human T lymphotropic virus, HTVL-I). This virus was discovered as a cause of adult T cell leukemia (ATL), and research was advanced by Takuo Hinuma of Kyoto University Virus Research Institute.

Although it was known that many virus carriers existed in Japan, it was not found at all in neighboring countries of East Asia. Meanwhile, it has been found from many Native Americans, Tibetans, Siberians, Burmese people, some Polynesians, etc. Looking at distribution in Japan, it is seen particularly frequently in southern Kyushu, Nagasaki prefecture, Okinawa and among the Ainu. And it is seen at medium frequency in the southern part of Shikoku, southern part of the Kii Peninsula, the Pacific side of the Tōhoku region (Sanriku) and Oki Islands. Overall, ATL retrovirus was found to be more in remote areas and remote islands. When examining the well-developed areas of ATL in each region of Kyushu, Shikoku, and Tōhoku in detail, carriers are preserved at high rates in small settlements that were isolated from the surroundings and inconvenient for traffic.

The path of natural infection of this virus is limited to vertical infection between mothers and horizontal infection between males and females.

Based on the above, Hinuma concluded that the high frequency area of this virus indicates the high density remain of Jōmon people.^[27]

References

• Hans Jakob Schadler
• Hans Jakob Schädler
• Hans-Jakob Schädler
• Hans Jakob Skaar Pedersen
• Hansjakob Way I
• Hansjakob Way II
• Hansjakobweg I
• Hansjakobweg II
• Hans Jaroscewicz
• Hans Jaroszewicz
• Hans Jesper Helso
• Hans J. Jorgensen Barn
• Hans-Joachim Birkner
• Hans-Joachim Brauske
• Hans-Joachim Böhmer
• Hans-Joachim Eckert
• Hans-Joachim Heist
• Hans Joachim Irmler's Faust
• Hans-Joachim Lang
• Hans-Joachim Lueck
• Hans-Joachim Mann
• Hans Joachim Meyer
• Hans Joachim Perk
• Hans-Joachim Perk
• Hans Joachim Ploetz