Rituality and anthropomorphic representation in Neolithic Japan -about the dog? figurines of the J?mon period-

Abstract

Abstract: This article aims to analyze the anthropomorphic figures known as dog? made during the J?mon period of Japanese prehistory. First, it will be necessary to clarify its origin and evolution from the archaeological knowledge accumulated to the present day, highlighting a gradual process of typological complexity, from primary forms to an attempt to transcend the representation of the human body. At the same time, we will pay attention to their synchronic diversity, marked by different types with a greater or lesser presence in the spatial framework of the archipelago. This work will delimit the different stages carried out by these figures and clarify their possible meaning and use, and, finally, it will lead us to a rethinking of the very existence of the dog? as an archaeological category.