Prehistoric Migration of Homo sapiens in the Ryukyu Islands

Abstract

Archeological sites dating back 30,000 years have been discovered throughout the Ryukyus and provided evidence for the migration of Homo sapiens across the sea during the late Pleistocene. A possible relationship to Southeast Asia is suggested, both from studies of artifacts and human remains. Subsequently, prehistoric people continued to inhabit at least several islands until the Holocene. From the end of the Pleistocene to the Holocene, the influence of Jomon culture extended to the Ryukyus, and people of the Jomon culture probably migrated from mainland Japan. One of the oldest evidence of pottery manufacture possibly related to incipient Jomon is found on Tokuno-Shima Island in central Ryukyu. This paper reviews the history of human migration to the Ryukyu Islands and discusses changes in their environment and culture.