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Abstract

This work analyzes swine’s role in prehistoric and protohistoric Japanese rituality, taking as a basis the appearance of a series of skeletal remains of such animals in ritual contexts and/or with evidences of ritual consumption, especially during the J?mon (ca. 10,500-300 BC) and Yayoi (1,000- 900 BC-250-300 AD) periods.

But prior to the analysis of these animal remains, it is necessary to hindsight the role of swine in the Japanese archipelago from prehistoric times onward, as well as pig’s domestication within mainland Asia and their travel throughout the continent to the Japanese islands. In this regard, it must be taken into account that there are three different study areas regarding swine within the Japanese archipelago: Hokkaid?, the Ry?ky? archipelago and the three islands of Ky?sh? Honsh? and Shikoku.