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Jomon – Hachi Vase
Jomon Hand-Patterned, Hachi Vase / Gunma Prefecture

Only a few inventions have changed the course of history and set human culture upon a new trajectory. Some of these inventions are ancient and hardly dramatic at first glance. Such quiet creative breakthroughs of the human mind stand in contrast to the march of empires, kings and wars that often dominate the historical time line. The invention of pottery is one of these paradigmatic changes. The craft of making objects from fire hardened clay created a paradigm shift in culture after which history could never be the same.

Fire hardened vessels don’t leak unless cracked, and they often last a very long time. The evolution of diet and cooking dramatically accelerated when pottery vessels were available. New methods for food preservation and storage, cooking baking, boiling, and brewing fostered a great diversity in food preparation.
Paleolithic Venus figurine
Venus Dolni Vestonice
The World’s First Pottery Created in Jomon, Japan featured
Pottery from Niigata Prefecture
Jomon – stone axes
Jomon / Stone Axes – Niigata Prefecture
Incipient Jomon – pottery vessel
Incipient Jomon – pottery vessel
Incipient Jomon – oatsu pottery vessel
Jomon - incense burner with human face