[blam]

"The use of cordage to decorate pottery vessels is one of the defining characteristics of the Jomon period in Japanese prehistory. Cord-marking is also, however, a major attribute of pottery decoration across much of Eurasia, in particular in the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age, visible in the Corded Ware cultures that stretch from the Volga to western Europe, including Beakers."

James Chatters (of Kennewick Man fame), in his book Ancient Encounters speculates that the genes that produced Kennewick Man also produced the Asians and Europeans. If Cord Pottery is oldest in Japan and is also found later in Europe, this may be some support for his speculation? Europeans were 'hatched' in Asia?

[Fedora]

James Chatters (of Kennewick Man fame), in his book Ancient Encounters speculates that the genes that produced Kennewick Man also produced the Asians and Europeans. If Cord Pottery is oldest in Japan and is also found later in Europe, this may be some support for his speculation? Europeans were 'hatched' in Asia?

Or--another possibility that occurs to me--it could be that the European Cord Pottery tradition is older than previously thought and may descend from the same period as the Venus figurines, just as the Cord Pottery and Venus figurines appear together in Japan. BTW, that reminds me of something you posted a few months back:

Prehistoric Oriental 'Venus' Carved On Cliff Discovered In Ningxia