Japanese Archaeology: British Perspectives

From some of the world’s oldest pottery to a striking industrial heritage, Japan has one of the richest archaeological records in the world. Recent years have seen enhanced engagement between Japanese and British archaeologists, in the form of research collaborations, bilateral visits, exhibitions and publications. With the recent announcement that the next World Archaeology Congress will be held in Kyoto in 2016, this interaction is set to increase exponentially over the coming years. This seminar brings together a group of British archaeologists from diverse parts of the discipline to discuss their experiences of and observations about Japanese archaeology, to explore the synergies and differences, challenges and opportunities for archaeologists in both Japan and the UK over the coming years. The seminar will follow on from a workshop led by graduate students from the University of East Anglia who visited Japan in 2012 as part of a Daiwa Award funded project investigating the long-term impact of the March 2011 Great East Japan Disaster on cultural heritage in Japan, and discussion of comparisons between the British Neolithic and the Japanese Jomon periods.

Contributors: Alan Saville, Don Henson, Sophie Jackson, Kasai Gdaniec, Koji Mizoguchi/Dr Simon Kaner

Free but booking is essential at www.dajf.org.uk/bookin