The Nature of Japanese Archaeology

Abstract

Despite some superficial organizational similarities with the study of archaeology in the West, Japanese archaeology is conducted in a manner that exemplifies aspects of Japanese culture, history, and political economy. Archaeological research is strongly centralized in Japan and guided by national policies, and can be indirectly linked to the National Learning Movement of the nineteenth century. Nationalistic interests are served by prehistoric investigations that emphasize continuity of historical links across time and space. Attention to description and compilation is shared with other disciplines. KEYWORDS: Japanese archaeology, history of archaeology, archaeological interpretation.