Susuya culture
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| Alternative names | Incipient Okhotsk |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2500–1600 BP |
| Followed by | Okhotsk culture |
The Susuya culture, alternatively referred to as the earliest phase of the Okhotsk culture by some scholars,[1] is an archaeological coastal fishing and hunter-gatherer culture that developed around the southern coastal regions of the Sea of Okhotsk, including Sakhalin and northern Hokkaido.
Maeda (1987) considered the Susuya type pottery to be the marker of the earliest phase of the Okhotsk culture. However, some archaeologists argue that the Towada phase was the beginning of the Okhotsk culture and that the Susuya phase preceded the Okhotsk culture (Ohyi, 1982). It is certain that the Towada phase was included in the Okhotsk culture based on the results of not only archaeological investigations but also osteological studies. The present lack of human skeletal remains of the Susuya phase prevents definite statement whether the Susuya phase belonged to the Okhotsk culture.[1]
Pottery
Susuya ceramics are represented by round, sharp, and flat-based vessels with a wide open mouth. Decoration consists of compositions of string and comb impressions. Sites containing pottery of this kind are grouped within a separate Susuya culture. These are associated with Epi-Jomon traditions dating from the 5th to the 4th centuries in southern Sakhalin and from the 2nd to the 5th centuries in southern Sakhalin and northern Hokkaido.[2]