A comparative archaeological study on prehistoric burial positions in Japan and the Old World

在保存较好的沉积环境中，即使考古学上关于墓葬位置的资料几乎都能收集到。然而，很少有人对这一问题进行大规模的研究。因此，我们的项目试图强调，用比较的方法，从日本，东亚和欧洲的数据，并得出以下3点结论。（1）绳文时代日本列岛的葬法主要是折葬。然而，随着弥生时代初期大陆影响的引入，这种情况倾向于向延长埋葬习俗转变，这在古坟时代的国家形成时代成为主流。（2）东亚地区的情况，在时间上与绳文时代相对应，其基本特征是长葬。事实上，在绳文时代的早期，日本的弹性葬的影响很可能来自南部岛屿，而不是亚洲大陆本身，这在思考绳文文化的谱系方面是相当新的观点。（3）弯曲埋葬代表了新石器时代欧洲的主要做法，而中国则明显倾向于延长埋葬。由于欧亚大陆东西部的地域性，埋葬方式存在着很大的差异，其背景还需要进一步的调查。以上的观察只是一个基础，经过三年的调查，可以期待新的发展，因为我们打算从埋葬类型的角度进行进一步的研究。

In well preserved depositional environment, even though archaeological data about burial positions can be almost universally colleted. However, very few studies have been undertaken on a large scale on this matter. Our project thus, tried to emphasized, with a comparative approach, on data from Japan, East Asia and Europe, and reached the 3 points conclusion below.(1)Flexed burial was the main practice during Jomon period's Japanese archipelago. However, with the introduction of continental influence at the beginning of Yayoi period, the situation tends to change toward extended burial practices, which became mainstream during the state formation age of the Kofun period.(2)The situation in East Asia, chronologically corresponding to Jomon period, is essentially characterized by extended burials. In fact, there is a good probability that during the earliest phase of Jomon period, funerary influences responsible for the diffusion of flexed burial in Japan rather came from the southern islands than the Asian continent itself, which point of view is quite new in the matter of thinking the genealogy of Jomon culture.(3)Flexed burials represent the main practice in Neolithic Europe, while China shows a clear preference for extended burial. There are significant differences in burial practices due to regionalisms between eastern and western Eurasia, situation that needs further investigations regarding its background.The above observations constitute nothing more than a basis, elaborated after three years of investigations, and one can expect new developments as we intend to conduct further research from the burial type point of view.