変動する富の不平等を掘り起こす：南関東の縄文・弥生遺跡における家族間格差 Unearthing Fluctuating Wealth Inequality : Household Disparities at Jōmon and Yayoi Sites in Southern Kantō, Japan (Elements in Ancient East Asia)

Nishimura, Yoko

Cambridge University Press（2026/04発売）

• 製本 Hardcover:ハードカバー版／ページ数 75 p.
• 言語 ENG
• 商品コード 9781009644273
• DDC分類 339.22095213

Full Description

This Element examines how archaeology can contribute to the investigation of ancient wealth disparities, using the Jōmon and Yayoi periods in Japan as a case study. It analyzes 1,150 pit dwellings from 29 archaeological sites in southern Kantō, dating from the Late Jōmon to the end of the Yayoi period (ca. 2540 BC-AD 250). Household wealth is estimated through pit dwelling floor area, with Gini coefficients calculated for each site. Results show relatively low inequality in the Late Jōmon, a slight decline in the Middle Yayoi, and a marked rise in the Late Yayoi period. Notably, average floor area decreased in the Late Yayoi period. These patterns raise broader questions about how wealth disparities were shaped by communal norms, settlement organization, the rise of agriculture, and expanding trade networks involving iron tools. This research underscores archaeology's unique ability to illuminate long-term economic transformations.

Contents

Introduction; 1. Socio-economic inequality in the Jōmon period; 2. Socio-economic inequality in the Yayoi period; 3. Archaeological perspectives on economic inequality; 4. Measuring material wealth in Archaeology; 5. Issues with quantification of material wealth; 6. The study area in the Southern Kantō region; 7. Data; 8. Results; 9. Discussion; References.