A stone artifact unearthed from the Makimuku archaeological site in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, which was likely home to the Yamatai state, is described by Yasuo Yanagida as having possibly been used as an ink slab. (Kenji Shimizu)
Posted on 05/28/2020 3:27:34 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Yasuo Yanagida, a visiting professor of archaeology at Kokugakuin University, argues in his latest paper that more than 150 stone artifacts dating from the Yayoi Pottery Culture Period (1000 B.C.-A.D. 250) and the Kofun Period (third to seventh century) he examined could, in fact, be writing tools...
In 2016, an ink slab from the latter half of the Yayoi Period (first to second century) was unearthed at the Mikumo-Iwara archaeological site in Itoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture.
That site is said to have been the capital of Itokoku, a community written about in the ancient Chinese historical document "Gishiwajinden," which recorded encounters with Japan...
The ink slabs were unearthed at former locations of major communities, dating back to between the middle of the mid-Yayoi Period (c. 100 B.C.) and the mid-Kofun Period (fifth century), when Japan was called Wakoku.
Because many pieces of earthenware from Lelang, a commandery set up by China's Earlier Han Dynasty on the Korean Peninsula in 108 B.C., have also been discovered at Mikumo-Iwara, where an inkstone was found, Yanagida argues that Japan's practice of writing was likely introduced around that time.
(Excerpt) Read more at asahi.com ...
A stone artifact unearthed from the Makimuku archaeological site in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, which was likely home to the Yamatai state, is described by Yasuo Yanagida as having possibly been used as an ink slab. (Kenji Shimizu)
Around a year ago, I read a history of Japan. It was so convoluted that I am not sure I know more than I did before reading it.
Well I do remember that the first Japanese came from Korea. Wait, I forgot about the Ainu.
Ainu. I’m aware of them from being stationed on Hokkaido.
looks like the homework i used hand in back in high school
They also moved north along the sea lanes from Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa). Geologically, Japan is a young country.
If China was writing 5000 years ago, it would seem reasonable to assume some of that capability made it to Japan, long ago.
China was writing perhaps 3500 years ago, rather than 5000.
This link won’t work for me, has an outlandish claim (7000 BC writing in China) that I just must look at later:
Yea, that’s quite a while ago. The link gets me to the abstract...then they want $25 for the paper.
The abstract
Early Neolithic graves at Jiahu, Henan Province, China, include tortoise shells which are incised with signs – some of which anticipate later Chinese characters and may be intended as words. Is this the earliest writing? The authors decide rather that the signs in this very early period performed as symbols connected with ritual practice, but they presage a long period of sign use which led eventually to a writing system.
The link since you said it didn’t work for you.
Note looks the same to me as what you posted.
Them chicken scratches aint writin.
Yeah, that seems a little pricey, considering the issue of the magazine is probably avaiable used for a few bucks. Their conclusion appears to be that the symbols were in use, but it took a long time to start transforming them into a writing system.
They probably copied it from the the Phoenicians.
“Phoenician sailors crossed the seas,
And gave to us their ABCs.”
(from junior high history)
'Civ loves to just sashay his big behind into his own topic and completely derail it with some more of his crazy bull****! Here's the Shang keyword, chrono sorted:
Still... could be!
Great you remember that!
I remember it also.
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