Reconstructing Environmental Change and Human Activity at the Karako-Kagi Site (Yayoi Period, Japan): Evidence from Pollen Analysis

SHIROISHI Testuya1*, FUJITA Saburo2, MARUYAMA Masashi3, OKADA Kenichi4, OZAWA Maho5, and MORI Masashi6

The Karako-Kagi site in Nara Prefecture is one of the largest and most important settlements of the Yayoi period in Japan. As a central settlement associated with the development of early agricultural societies, the site provides a valuable opportunity to explore the relationship between human activity and environmental change during the emergence of complex communities. This study presents new paleoenvironmental data based on pollen analysis from archaeological contexts at the Karako-Kagi site. The analysis focuses on sediment samples collected from features and deposits associated with settlement activities. By examining pollen assemblages preserved in these contexts, it becomes possible to reconstruct local vegetation patterns and environmental conditions surrounding the settlement. The results reveal changes in vegetation composition that reflect both natural environmental conditions and increasing human impact on the landscape. In particular, the pollen data suggest the expansion of anthropogenic environments associated with agricultural activities and settlement development during the Yayoi period. These findings provide important insights into how human populations modified and interacted with their surrounding ecosystems. By integrating pollen evidence with archaeological information from the site, this study contributes to a broader understanding of human–environment interactions in early agricultural societies in East Asia. The research highlights the value of paleoenvironmental approaches for examining the ecological context of large prehistoric settlements in the Indo-Pacific region.