This article examines the relationship between archaeological practices and the public , focusing on the interaction of prehistoric Jomon archaeology and present-day social movements in Japan. Where previous studies have emphasized the social influences upon archaeological practices and interpretations, this article seeks to understand how archaeology shapes ideological discourses, stimulates cultural activities, and builds new landscapes in the present. Three case studies are presented that show how “the Jomon” has become a flexible symbol that supports left-wing ideologies and associated environmental and anti-nuclear activism, inspires discursive art-based social movements that look to the Jomon as a source of cultural “roots,” and helps accelerate existing social movements such as rural revitalization and environmental conservation movements. Broadening the attempts in this article to diverse research subjects contributes to establishing a model for anthropological approaches to the study of archaeology as cultural resources.
Yoshida et al. (Tue,) studied this question.