Reassessing Japanese archaeological paradigms: unraveling the sophistication and socio-cultural dynamics of Hokkaido Ainu’s hunter-gatherer communities from the thirteenth to the nineteenth century

• Main Author: Lim, Charlotte Loretta Xin Hui
• Other Authors: Ivy Yeh
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Arts and Humanities; Ainu; Hokkaido; Hunter-gatherer; Archaeology; Anthropology; History; Japan
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/174375
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The Ainu people of Hokkaido, indigenous to northern Japan, have long endured discrimination and marginalization, both historically and in contemporary times. Despite official recognition as an indigenous group in Japan in 2008, the Ainu population continues to face challenges ranging from inadequate representation in education to unresolved issues regarding ancestral remains. This thesis seeks to challenge entrenched archaeological narratives that depict Ainu culture as primitive and backward by exploring the profound ways in which Hokkaido’s environment shaped Ainu subsistence strategies, rituals, and cultural practices. By examining interactions with external groups and reassessing traditional Japanese archaeological frameworks, the thesis aims to offer a nuanced perspective on Ainu culture and its place in Japanese history. To achieve this goal, the thesis utilizes a diverse range of sources, including archaeological findings, historical research, and oral accounts. These sources reveal the adaptive nature of Ainu culture and challenge misconceptions about hunter-gatherer societies. By focusing on the period from the thirteenth to nineteenth century, the thesis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of Ainu life before their integration into mainstream Japanese society. Ultimately, this thesis aims for a more accurate portrayal of Ainu culture and highlight the importance of indigenous perspectives in archaeological studies.