Regional and temporal variations in skeletal morphology of the Nansei islanders

为了通过骨骼形态学来阐明南西岛民的人口历史，我们调查了冲绳县不同地区和时期的骨骼遗骸。通过野外调查，我们收集了以冲绳县教育委员会博物馆为主的古代样品和以墓葬遗址为主的近代早期样品的资料。根据Martin的方法和Yamaguchi（1973，1980）的方法进行测量，对南西岛民的9个头颅测量值与周边人群（绳文2人，弥生4人，现代日本、朝鲜和中国各4人）的头颅测量值进行主成分分析，以探讨南西岛民的形态特征。e.虽然我们在早期现代南西岛民中没有发现明显的区域性骨骼形态变化，但在七世岛民中发现了从冲绳壳丘时期到中世纪时期的显著的长期变化。

To clarify population history of the Nansei islanders by skeletal morphology, we investigated skeletal remains from various areas and periods in Okinawa prefecture. We collected the data of ancient samples mainly at the museum of the educational committee of Okinawa prefecture, and that of early modern samples mainly at the burial sites through field surveys. Measurements were made according to Martin's methods and to Yamaguchi (1973,1980).For detecting morphological features of the Nansei islanders, principal component analysis was applied to the correlation matrix calculated from 9 cranial measurements of the subjects and other surrounding populations (2 Jomon, 4 Yayoi, 4 modern Japanese, Korea and Cnina).The features of the ancient Nansei islanders, i. e. that characterized by small cranial size, hyperbrachycrany and shorter face, closely resembled those of the Tanegashima Yayoi peoples.Though we could not find significant regional variations in skeletal morphology among the early modern Nansei islanders, significant secular change from the Okinawa shell mound period to the medieval period were found within the Nanasei islanders.