Abstract
Archaeological research, for several decades, has shown that various microblade technologies using obsidian and hard shale appeared and developed from the Last Glacial Maximum to the terminal Pleistocene (Bølling–Allerød–Younger Dryas) in Hokkaido, Northern Japan. It is well accepted that microblade technology was closely related to the high mobility of foragers to adapt to harsh environments. Recent archaeological and palaeoenvironmental evidence from Hokkaido demonstrates that the disappearance of microblade technology occurred during the terminal Pleistocene, influenced by a wide range of factors, including changes in landscape, climate, subsistence and human populations. The goal of this paper is to provide an overview of the current state of research on the process and background of the disappearance of microblade technology and to discuss prospects for future research. This paper will (1) review palaeoenvironmental research in Hokkaido on changes in climate and biological composition from the terminal Pleistocene to the initial Holocene; (2) survey changes in the technological adaptations and resource use of humans based on the archaeological evidence; and (3) discuss how the abrupt fluctuations of climate that occurred in the terminal Pleistocene affected human behaviour and demographics in Hokkaido.
Highlights
The accumulation of Upper Palaeolithic studies in Hokkaido, for several decades, has revealed that there are numerous lithic assemblages characterised by various microblade technologies using raw materials such as obsidian and hard shale [1,2,3]
Detailed lithic technological analyses and chronological reconstructions in Hokkaido have made it clear that the various microblade technologies that appeared and developed were closely related to the behavioural strategies of mobile hunter-gatherers adapted to living in harsh environments from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 26,500–19,500 years ago) [4]
It is necessary to note that the terminal Pleistocene hunter-gatherers with microblades in Hokkaido had to adapt differently to changing environments
Summary
The accumulation of Upper Palaeolithic studies in Hokkaido, for several decades, has revealed that there are numerous lithic assemblages characterised by various microblade technologies using raw materials such as obsidian and hard shale [1,2,3]. There have been some important archaeological achievements that suggest how hunter-gatherers in Hokkaido accomplished technological adaptations and resource use during the transitional period from the terminal Pleistocene to the initial Holocene. Based on these studies, this paper will survey the process through which microblade technology disappeared in Hokkaido and the background behind this process, influenced by a wide range of factors, including changes in landscape, climate, subsistence and human populations. This paper will (1) review research on the palaeoenvironment carried out in Hokkaido regarding changes in climate and biogeography from the terminal Pleistocene to the initial Holocene; (2) assess changes in the technological adaptations and resource use of humans by focusing on lithic production technology and patterns of land use; and (3). Discuss the ways in which sudden cooling affected human behaviour and demographics, during the Younger Dryas
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