1 Recent excavations have revealed numerous settlements of the Middle Jomon period: 3500-2500 BC. These villages were often small, ranging on average from three to approximately twenty huts in use at any one time. They are usually found in the vicinity of water, such as a river or spring.
2 The Jomon diet consisted of products from different natural environments. The mountainous forest provided opportunities for hunting, as well as greens, tubers and nuts. The sea and rivers added protein from fish and mammals, such as seal. People migrated seasonally to exploit these resources effectively.
3 The most common form of dwelling was a circular hut of approximately 18 ft (5 m) in diameter. The roof was thatched and supported by four to six posts. These were covered with grass, leaves, bark and sometimes earth. In this small space, of roughly 20 square metres, four to five people lived.
4 Jomon houses were semi-subterranean. They were dug 2 ft (0.5 m) into the soil to create a more stable structure and to preserve warmth. The floors in the houses were made of stamped earth. Economical use was made of the space underneath the sloping roof by filling it with benches for sitting and sleeping.
5 The central position in the hut was occupied by the hearth enclosed by large cobbles. Around it various tools and household implements were found; an axe for chopping wood and baskets for storing tubers, berries and vegetables. More containers were kept on small shelves along the walls.
6 The start of the Jomon period is marked by the widespread use of pottery. Fired pots are waterproof and heat-resistant and could be used for boiling foods which were previously inedible. Ceramics also served as bowls, lamps and containers. They were hand-made, not turned on wheels, and often beautifully decorated.
7 The floor had numerous pits dug into it, which were probably used for the storage of nuts. Walnuts, acorns and chestnuts formed an essential part of the diet. They were cracked on large stones with many small cavities and ground on special milling stones.
9 Fish was an important part of the diet. Rivers offered salmon and fresh water snails and shellfish. The sea supplied shellfish, clams and fish such as bass, mullet or even shark. Many houses were equipped with a griddle to preserve fish by smoking.
8 In some Jomon villages large-sized rectangular huts were found. It is thought these dwellings were used as assembly places and community workshops throughout the cold winters. Here people worked together to knap flint or make pottery.
10 This building consisted of a large space 45 ft (17 m) long and 25 ft (8 m) wide, divided by an inner wall. It was heated by four hearths. Its function remains to be established, but it may have been a place for processing and storing nuts as the many pits in the floor seem to suggest.
100 Recent large scale excavations have revealed numerous settlements of the Middle Jomon period: 3500-2500 BC. These villages were often small, ranging on average from three to approximately 20 huts in use at any one time. They are usually found in the vicinity of water, such as a river or spring.
