In the beginning was the word: On the history of the term “Jōmon” in Russian archaeological literature

Based on the analysis of publica- tions, the authors consider the history, con- text and peculiarities of the appearance of the term “Jōmon” in Russian archaeologi- cal literature. Among the scholars who made the most signiicant contribution to the study of the Neolithic (Jōmon) of the Japanese Is- lands in the 1880s-1920s are A.V.Grigo- riev, I. S. Polyakov and D. M. Pozdneev. In the 1930s-1950s the most important role was played by A. P. Okladnikov and M. V. Vorobiev. The evolution of the term’s status from “pro- to-Ainu strata” to “pan-Japanese Neolithic culture” is traced.