Peopling of Western Japan, Focusing on Kyushu, Shikoku, and Ryukyu Archipelago

Abstract

The discovery of the Iwajuku site in Japan is the beginning of the study of the first Paleolithic cultures in the region. In this paper we examine the timing of the earliest colonization of southern Japan, especially focusing on the areas of Kyushu, Shikoku, and the Ryukyu archipelago. Osteological studies have proposed the ultimate origin of these western Japanese Paleolithic populations in Southeast Asia. If this hypothesis is correct, Native Americans may be remotely related to the populations of this region. Greater attention to data from areas such as Japan is necessary to understand the timing and nature of New World colonization.