Ecological and cultural shifts of hunter-gatherers of the Jomon period paralleled with environmental changes.

OBJECTIVES: Holocene hunter-gatherers adapted to climatic and environmental changes over time. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of human skeletal remains from the Inariyama shell mound of the Final Jomon period have revealed large dietary variations in the population. This study analyzed radiocarbon dates of these individuals to test temporal changes in diet and its relationship with tooth ablation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine human skeletal remains from Inariyama were included in this study. Extracted bone collagen samples were purified to graphite. Then, radiocarbon dating of these samples was performed using the accelerator mass spectrometer. RESULTS: The radiocarbon ages of Inariyama ranged about, 3,230-2,140 cal BP and showed three peaks of occupation. In the early and late phases, terrestrial resource consumption and incisor extraction were observed, while marine resource consumption and canine extraction were observed in the middle phase. DISCUSSION: These temporal changes of diet and tooth ablation types occurred in parallel with climatic cooling and environmental change and help reveal how Holocene hunter-gatherers adapted to the changing environments.