Abstract
Urushi-lacquered combs are among the most important artifacts characterizing the urushi lacquer culture of the Jomon period in Japan. We conducted radiocarbon dating of two lacquered combs of the Jomon period, one excavated from the Mibiki site of the late phase of the initial Jomon period and another excavated from the Torihama shell midden of the early Jomon period. Their dates were 6290 ± 30 14C BP (ca. 7200 cal BP) and 5310 ± 30 14C BP (ca. 6100 cal BP), respectively. These results show the comb from the Mibiki site to be one of the oldest remains of urushi-lacquered artifacts of the Jomon period and that from the Torihama shell midden to be of the late phase of the early Jomon period.
