Archaeological collections from the Jōmon period in the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera)

This article presents an analysis and additional description of archaeological items of the Jömon era from A.V. Grigoriev ’s collection (No. 1294) at Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) RAS Department of Archaeology, Saint-Petersburg. The study focuses on the description of decorative motifs and the stylistic attribution of selected samples of ceramics. The analysis is based on published data about the Omori shell mound (Tokyo, Honshu Island), visited by Grigoriev in 1878 as part of an expedition from the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. The early stage of the Japanese archaeology is described with reference to the Omori shell mound. Special attention is given to the peculiarities of the Jömon decorative style. The geographic location of the site suggests that the samples are associated with the Kasori B and Horinouchi styles. Contrary to the Russian tradition, the emphasis is made on stylistic interpretation rather than technology and typology. The combinations of large zonally arranged rectangular designs and spiral motifs are typical of the Kasori B style, to which several samples belong. Others reveal vertically and horizontally arranged patterns consisting of incised arcuate and straight lines, typical of the Horinouchi style.