Patterns of systemic stress during the agricultural transition in prehistoric Japan

Abstract

This study documents and interprets systemic stress during the agricultural transition in prehistoric Japan using linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) defects and cribra orbitalia (CO) lesions. Middle to Final Jomon cultures (5000-2300 BP) from Honshu Island represent the foraging samples, while Yayoi cultures (2500-1700 BP) represent the early agricultural samples. Jomon foragers from eastern Japan had broad-based, intensive economies. Jomon foragers from western Japan had a greater focus on seasonally available, nutritionally poor resources, while Yayoi people were descendents of migrants from the East Asian continent and introduced wet rice economies to Japan. This study tests the hypotheses that wet rice economies will be associated with a lower prevalence of teeth/individuals affected by LEH defects in western Japan, while few differences in the prevalence of teeth/individuals with LEH defects will be observed between eastern Jomon people and Yayoi farmers. It is further predicted that similar CO prevalence will be observed between Jomon and Yayoi people given environmental similarities. Significantly greater frequencies of teeth affected by LEH defects are observed among western Jomon compared to Yayoi people. The prevalence of teeth with LEH defects is slightly elevated among eastern Jomon foragers compared to Yayoi agriculturalists. Significant differences in CO prevalence are not observed. Systemic stress prevalence in western Japan likely declined following wet-rice agriculture because this crop provided a predictable, renewable resource base. Systemic stress prevalence was similar between eastern Jomon and Yayoi people because both groups practiced intensive subsistence strategies. Similar CO prevalence reflects infectious diseases associated with living conditions.