The Earliest in East Asia: A Review 227

The Earliest Pottery in East Asia: A Review

K.N. DIKSHIT* AND MANJIL HAZARIKA**

The beginning of 21st century is a landmark in the other characteristic features of animal husbandry. In the understanding of the culture of Far East in Near East, the neolithic lifestyle including agriculture terms of farming and beginning of pottery along with preceded the introduction of pottery and hence, the

Fig. 1: Some important sites yielding early evidence of pottery in East Asia (The base map of East Asia is downloaded from www.wikipedia.com)

*Former Joint Director General, Archaeological Survey of and General Secretary, Indian Archaeological Society, New Delhi ** Research Associate, Indian Archaeological Society, New Delhi and Ph. D Researcher, Himalayan Languages Project, Bern University, Switzerland 228 Pura¯tattva 42 neolithic cultural levels which existed prior to the the most common type in southern (Chi 2002) invention of pottery have been termed as “Aceramic” or which has a wide distribution in South and Southeast “Pre-Pottery” neolithic period. Such levels are recorded Asian context too, however from a later chronological at several sites like Ain Ghazal, and Abu Hureyra sequence. etc. While discussing the issue of origin of pottery in a global context, it is found that East Asia has replaced the Xianrendong Cave age-old long established thinking that domestication of plant is earlier than pottery. Radio-metric dates suggest The cave site of Xianrendong, located in Wannian emergence of pottery making technology in East Asia County of the northern Jiangxi province of China, around 14,000 BP and 13,000 BP (Kuzmin and Kealley around 100 km south of the Yangtze river was fi rst 2001, Kealley et al. 2004). These new evidences belied excavated in 1961 and 1964 and then subsequently in our notion and many scholars working in Far East have 1993 and 1995 and again in 1999 and 2000 by different pronounced on the basis of AMS dates, the manufacture Institutions. Recent excavations in 2009 provided a new of handmade pottery at least 20,000 years BP from a series of radio-carbon dates which suggest a time range site known as Xianrendong Cave in Jiangxi province of ~20,000 to 19,000 cal. years BP for the earliest pottery of China (Fig. 1). in the world. It is tempered with crushed quartzite or feldspar and fi red at relatively low temperature. These China are plain-surfaced or cord-marked and also having parallel striations on the interior and exterior surfaces Several sites located in China have yielded in recent due to smoothing done with grass fi bres (Fig. 2, 3 & years earliest ceramics which may be considered as the 4). These early pottery were probably made by sheet oldest known so far in the world context. In China, two laminating and coiling with paddling. The signs of different cultural traditions have provided evidence burning on the exterior of the pot suggest cooking of early pottery manufacture: (i) southern China in activities by the earliest potters (Wu et al. 2012). association with pebble tool tradition comparable to the Hoabinhian culture of Southeast Asia and (ii) Yuchanyan Cave northern China in association with microlithic tradition of Northeast Asia. In South Chinese context, the cave The Yuchanyan cave site, located in the Daoxian site of Xianrendong is known for yielding early pottery. County of Hunan province in China, approximately 450 Another important site is the Zengpiyan cave in Guilin km south of the main course of the Yangtze river has in Guangxi province which has also provided similar drawn considerable attention in recent years. The site pottery like Xianrendong from the lowest level of yielded early evidence of pottery in association with excavation in 1973. Then in 1980, the excavations large amounts of ash, animal bones, cobble and fl ake at the site of Liyuzui cave in Liuzhou of Guangxi artifacts, tools made of bone and shell. It is a site of the province have also attracted the attention of scientifi c Late Paleolithic forager. The analysis of the charcoal and community for the early chronology of pottery making. bone collagen extended a time bracket of around 21,000 Subsequently, the sites of Miaoyan in Gulin in Guangxi to 13,800 cal. BP and the date of the pottery between province, Yuchanyan in Daoxian in Hunan province, 18,300 and 15,430 cal. BP. Excavations at the site by Diaotonghuan in Jiangxi province, Dayan in Guilin of Jiarong Yuan in 1993 and 1995 revealed two clusters of Guangxi province have also provided an early timeframe potsherds indicating the presence of two vessels. These with radio-metric dates. The cord-marked pottery was were coarsely made, with thick uneven walls upto 2 cm The Earliest Pottery in East Asia: A Review 229

Fig. 2: Stripe-marked pottery from Xianrendong cave (courtesy Chi 2002: 32)

Fig. 3: Stripe-marked pottery from Xianrendong cave (courtesy Chi 2002: 32)

Fig. 4: Plain pottery from Xianrendong cave (courtesy Chi 2002: 32) 230 Pura¯tattva 42

Fig. 5: Early pottery from Yuchanyan cave site (courtesy Yasuda 2002: 122)

thick, and were fi red at low temperature. It is interesting to note that the interior and exterior surfaces of the pottery are cord-impressed (Fig. 5 & 6). The radio- carbon chronology obtained from the samples collected during the recent excavations in 2004 – 2005 is based on high-precision dating of the entire sequence of the deposits (Boaretto et al. 2009).

Similar pottery was recovered during the excavations in 1997 at the site of Dingsishan near Nanning city in southern Guangxi showing affi nity with the Xianrendong and Yuchanyan caves which are also handmade having uneven and thick wall and very friable fabrics indicating low fi ring temperature. Cord-impressions were also noticed on the surface (Xianguo 2002: 63-64).

In northern Chinese context, the sites like Fig. 6: Early pottery from Yuchanyan cave site (courtesy Jiarong 2002: 162) Nanchuangtou on the piedmont of the Taihang Mountains, 35 km west of Baiyangdian Lake at the western border of the Plain in Xushui dated between 11,500 - 11,000 BP after calibration; Donghulin, The Earliest Pottery in East Asia: A Review 231 situated in the Zhaitang Basin of the Qingshui river, 78 The lack of traces of smoke and burning at the base of km west of Beijing on a piedmont overlooking the the pot suggests the use of these vessels as container. northern end of the Taihang Mountains just to the west The early pottery has been dated to 13,080 ± 120 years of the North China Plain dated to 11,000 – 9,500 BP; BP (Ruihai and Jun 2002: 198-200). Hutouliang in the Nihewan basin of the north-western province; Uujiagou in Yangyuan and Zhuannian It has been suggested that the forest hunter-gatherers in Beijing are some of the important sites which have occupying the middle Yangtze river basin were the fi rst provided early evidence of pottery (Yang 2012). to invent pottery who led a sedentary lifestyle (Yasuda 2008). Excavations at the sites of Xianrendong and Nanchuangtou and Hutouliang Site Diaotonghuan in the Jiangxi province have provided ample evidence for the understanding of the transition The site of Nanchuangtou in the Xushai County from Palaeolithic to Neolithic period (Chi 1999). was fi rst discovered in 1986 and excavation has yielded Several archaeological sites of South China have yielded potsherds of body, rim and base portions (Fig. 7 & 8). potsherds of thick walls with coarse inclusions in South These low fi red are of two types: grey ware and China. Most of these sites are associated with fl aked yellowish-brown pottery. The grey ware pottery contains or ground stone tools and ground organic implements. fresh-water mussel, shell and quartz fragments. The These early potters are interpreted as affl uent foragers common designs are cord-decoration. Some potsherds whose livelihood was based on diversified natural show hook marks and some have perforations (Ruihai resources. They made pottery characterized by thick, and Jun 2002: 195-196). The group of sites at Hutouliang crumbled walls built by hand pinching and without in the Yangyuan County which were excavated during decoration (Lu 2010). Recent intensive research into 1995 and 1997, have provided evidence of rough and the neolithic phase of southern China suggests an early porous fl at based potsherds fi red in low temperature. beginning of the culture from around 11,000 - 8,000

Fig. 7: From Nanchuangtou site (courtesy Ruihai and Jun 2002: 196) 232 Pura¯tattva 42

Along with pottery most of these sites have yielded a microblade industry comparable to the lithic industries of Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. Ceramics from the site of Odai Yamamoto 1 has demonstrated a coarse preparation with undecorated surfaces and dated to 12,000 years BP comparable to the Higashi-Rokugo site on Hokkaido. The Kosanri site in Korea has also yielded early pottery.

Odai Yamamoto I site

The Odai Yamamoto I site, located at the northern end of the Honshu Island in Japan was excavated in 1975 and 1976 which yielded typical Chojakubo type stone artifacts and plain Mumon type pottery with a fl at bottom and two arrow heads which are distinctive of Jomon culture. Subsequent excavations in 1998 have yielded more pottery in association with stone artefacts. Although not reconstructed fully, a pot possibly had a fl at base, possibly a deep bowl or a pot, however, Fig. 8: Potsherds from Nanchuangtou site (courtesy Ruihai and Jun without any clear surface decoration (Fig. 9). The 2002: 197) charred materials on the surface of the pottery have BCE (Chi and Hung 2008). With the rise of temperature, been identifi ed as ancient food residues or fuel carbon early Neolithic culture spread to other areas of middle for cooking. Boiling of food has been suggested on the and lower Yangtze river valley and formed the heartland basis of a water level line inside the pot. Radiocarbon of rice agriculture subsequently (Chi 1999: 99). In north determination suggests a date of use of pottery at the China, the evidence of ancient pottery is slightly later site between 13,780 - 13,070 BP and calibrated age as than South Chinese context (Yang 2012). 16,540 – 15,710 cal. BP, using INTCAL98 calibration data (Nakamura et al. 2001). Japan Fukui Cave The earliest evidence of ceramics has come from several sites of Honshu and Shikoku Islands of Japan Earliest pottery from site of Fukui cave on the and some of the most important sites are Odai Yamamoto southern most Japanese Island of Kyushu has been 1, Fukui cave and Kamikuroiwa. The 6th layer of the site dated to 12,400 ± 350 BP and 12,700 ± 500 BP. The of Kamikuroiwa has been dated to 10,085 BP and the pottery in different layers of the site represents different 9th layer to 12,165 BP yielding pottery. Some other sites characteristic features: rotated stump pottery in the fi rst are Senpukuji, Isigoya, Maedakochi, Shimomouchi, layer, fi ngernail incised pottery in the second layer and Katsusaka, Kamino, Nasunahara, and Hanamiyama linear band appliqué in the third layer. There is evidence dated between 10,280 BP to 11,360 BP of which of association of micro-blade tradition with appliquéd the ceramic types resembles with the Fukui Cave. ceramics and the bifacial arrowheads with non- The Earliest Pottery in East Asia: A Review 233

Fig. 9: Undecorated pottery from Odai Yamamoto I site (courtesy Tsutsumi 2002: 245) decorated ceramics and then fi nally the emergence of and Sakhalin Island. In the context of Amur river, cord-marked pottery (Kajiwara and Kononenko 1999). Osipovka complex, particularly the site of Gasya is very signifi cant as it has yielded early evidence dated back Some other important sites (Fig. 10) also yielding to c. 13,000 BP. Another important Neolithic context early pottery suggest a strong cultural exchange Gromatukha in the middle reaches of the Amur river has between the Japanese Islands and the Russian Far East been excavated since 1960s and yielded radio-carbon (Nakamura et al. 2001, Ono et al. 2002). chronology of 12,3000 BP to 13,200 BP, comparable to the Osipovka complex. The Ust-Karenga complex in the Russian Far East and Eastern Siberia middle reaches of Vitim river in Eastern Siberia has also provided similar chronological framework of 11,200- Although the beginning of agriculture is 10,800 BP (Kuzmin 2002). The pottery fragments from comparatively late in Russian Far East when compared the site of Usti-Kyakhta have been dated to 12,595 ± to China, pottery appears quite early, particularly in 50 BP and 11,505 ± 100 BP. Some other important the regions of Amur river basin, Promorye province sites of this area are Usi-Ulima 1 and 2 located on the 234 Pura¯tattva 42

Fig. 10: Potsherds from Sagamino No. 149 site (courtesy Tsutsumi 2002: 246) Selemzha river, a tributary of the Amur (Kajiwara and site of Goncharka is dated to 12,500 ± 60 BP. Another Kononenko 1999: 65) important site, Khummi yielding pottery is dated to 13,260 ± 1000 and 10,345 ± 110 BP (Kajiwara and Osipovka Complex Kononenko 1999, Kuzmin 2002 and detailed references therein). The excavations since 1960s at the site of Gasya in the Amur river, one of the important sites of Osipovka Gromatukha and Ust-Karenga Complex complex have yielded pottery in association with Mesolithic-like laurel-leaf point. Reconstruction of a The site of Gromatukha on the Zeya river has pot suggests its shape as conical with a fl at base having recorded in excavations a good amount of pottery 25 - 27 cm height, 1.2 - 1.7 cm thickness of the wall having tempered with fi ber. A reconstructed vessel and 1.5 – 1.7 thickness at the base. The simple designs shows grooves on its internal and external sides and at the external surface show vertical grooves. Plant have fl at base with a thickness of 0.7 - 0.8 cm of the wall fi ber was used as tempering material. Pottery from the portion. Pottery from the site of Ust-Karenga has quite site of Khummi are also plant fi ber tempered, however, elaborated designs with comb impressions, zigzag and due to small size of the fragments, reconstruction has cogged stamps and tempered with plant fi ber (Kuzmin been a problem. Another site Goncharka has yielded a 2002 and detailed references therein). good number of potsherds and four fl at based vessels have been reconstructed. The potsherds demonstrate The stone artifacts and pottery types found in horizontal internal scratches made by either bundled northern Japan at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition of grass or a comb. The rim portion has wave like show certain homogeneity with those found in the indentations made by pressing sticks or cords. Apart Osipovka culture from the Amur river basin which may from these potsherds which have internal decorations, be explained through the commonality of subsistence there are some other potsherds being decorated with base in these regions (Kajiwara and Kononenko 1999: external comb-like instrument or cord-impression, the 65). The pottery from the site of Ustinovka dated to well-developed designs showing vertical zigzag pattern 10,500 years BP shows no decoration except the row were made with a comb. The lowermost level of the of perforations under the rim and shallow horizontal The Earliest Pottery in East Asia: A Review 235 scratches on the inner surface. These are analogous with designs for the same purpose which also depicts the pottery from Japan, particularly from the Jim site impression over the body of the pot. Moreover, cordage in Niigata and Katsusaka in Kanagawa (Kajiwara and or basketry is also used to wrap the paddle. In certain Kononenko 1999: 67). cases, it is observed that these impressions are shallow and not very clear, and so the decorations cannot be Sakhalin Island fi gured out. Sometimes, it becomes diffi cult to identify whether these are cord-impressions or impressions of Sakhalin is the largest island in the northern part of a carved paddle. All the terms, like cord-impressed, the Pacifi c Ocean. It extends in a north-south direction cord-marked and corded wares, are used to designate along with the islands of the Japanese Archipelago this kind of pottery (Hazarika 2012). This pottery has a forming the eastern boundary of the Japan Sea basin. long antiquity in East Asian context. Several sites, located in the Sakhalin Island such as Ado Tymovo 2, Nyivo 2, Starodubskoe 3, Malyi Ruchei, and Discussions Porech’e 4 have yielded fragmentary pottery at around 9,000 – 8,000 years BP. These earliest pottery bears As far as the origin of pottery is concerned the traces of mollusk temper which are identifi ed by the entire area starting with southern part of China, Japan, characteristic pits in the surface and on breaks of the Russian Far East and Eastern Siberia has provided a pottery fragments. Due to scanty material and absence chronological sequence for the earliest pottery in the of diagnostic features, the shares have not been well world. With more excavations and dating attempts, reconstructed. The thickness of wall is up to 1 cm. The we have a fairly good understanding of the date of the use of mollusk tempering in early pottery support an earliest pottery. independent tradition of pottery making in Sakhalin as it has not been found in the neighbouring Japanese On the basis of the presence of rice as husks and/ Islands and Jomon culture (Zhushchikhovskaya and or phytoliths found at the sites of Xianrendong and Shubina 2006: 111-112). Yuchanyan caves, Lu (1999) earlier suggested that the invention of pottery was also due to the need of cooking Cord-impressed Pottery cereal food grains. Experimental study and faunal data of shellfi sh at the sites of Zengpiyan and Dayan suggest As the term suggests, cord-impressed pottery bears another possibility of cooking shellfi sh as stimulus for cord-impressions, mostly on the outer surface, either the invention of pottery making in southern part of China partially or fully. Impressions are made either as a (Lu 2003: 139). decorative pattern with a paddle wrapped with a cord, or they remain over the surface as a by-product while Kuzmin (2002: 42-43) suggests that hunting and beating and shaping the pot in leather-hard condition fi shing were the possible economic activities of the with a cord-wrapped paddle. These impressions can be earliest potters in Russian Far East and pottery must considered either as decorations (stylistic) or just as a have been used for cooking meat and fi sh and specially process of potting (technological) or both, besides its for extraction of fat from anadromous salmonids in the functional aspect, if there is any. The cords are wrapped Amur river. Similar suggestions have also been made around the paddle for easy beating of the sticky clay by Kajiwara and Kononenko (1999). The emergence of by preventing the paddle from sticking to the clay. In pottery was not associated with agricultural activities as many cases, the paddles are also curved with various the evidence of farming is quite late in comparison to 236 Pura¯tattva 42 pottery making. The transition from lithic tradition to the Asia and the designs, shapes and other technological emergence of ceramics in Japan has been correlated with characteristics of the early potteries, Kuzmin (2006) the climatic changes in the post-glacial period and change suggests an almost simultaneous appearance of pottery in the subsistence pattern (Kajiwara and Kononenko technology in different parts of East Asia which makes 1999: 64). A comparison of the manufacturing the possibility of three independent ‘centres’ of pottery technique, surface treatment and ornamentation styles origin, located in southern China, Japan, and the of the early pottery found in Russian Far East and Russian Far East. The pace of the beginning of pottery Japan suggest a similar development of prehistoric in different parts of the world was asynchronous and a cultures throughout the Final Pleistocene (Kajiwara and slow process (Kuzmin 2010). Kononenko 1999: 67). The wide distribution of early pottery making in East Asia has been explained as the Acknowledgements result of inter-societal interactions of people living in different environmental condition possibly along with Authors are grateful to Prof. Y.V. Kuzmin of the other ideas and technologies (Shelach 2012: 1645). Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia and Prof. Ofer Origin of pottery has been a crucial issue in world Bar-Yosef of the Department of Anthropology, Harvard prehistory and several important questions are yet to University, USA especially for their suggestions. be answered. Keeping in view the recent data, several Photographs used in this article are by the courtesy of independent centers for the origin within East Asia have Prof. Yoshinori Yasuda of International Research Center been suggested (Kealley et al. 2004: 349). Based on a for Japanese Studies from his edited book The Origins critical examination of the earliest radio-carbon dates of Pottery and Agriculture published in 2002. for the emergence of pottery in different regions of East

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