Regional- and local-scale vegetation histories are reconstructed based on a pollen database from archaeological sites in Shiga Prefecture. There are 891 pollen data from 60 archaeological sites in the database. The pollen database suggests that evergreen broadleaf forests mainly consisted of Quercus subg. Cyclobalanopsis in the Middle Jomon period, and that Cryptomeria japonica increased in the evergreen forests after the Late Jomon period. Pinus and Poaceae pollen began to increase after the Yayoi period, although evergreen broadleaf forests associated with Cryptomeria japonica were still dominant. After the Kamakura period, Pinus pollen became significantly dominant. Temporal and spatial distributions in pollen data from each archaeological site indicate differences in local-scale vegetation and human use of forest resources.

The history of grassland and intentional fires has been reconstructed from the analysis of phytoliths and macroscopic charcoals in cumulative soils in many areas in Japan. This paper reviews the history of vegetation, primarily grasslands and intentional fires reconstructed from phytolith and macroscopic charcoal records in cumulative soils in the Soni, Tonomine, and Kannabe Plateaus in the Kinki District, central Japan. We also apply a principal component analysis to the percentages of phytolith morphotypes and macroscopic charcoal concentrations in three areas to assess the effects of fire occurrences on the respective vegetation types.

This paper discusses the transitions in animal utilization based on an analysis of animal remains excavated from archaeological sites in the Kinki Region and their context. In this region, archaeological excavations have uncovered the remains of fish, shellfish, birds, and mammals, providing evidence of ancient fishing and hunting activities. These remains underscore the utilization of animals as sources of food and resources since prehistoric times. Domesticated animals emerged from the Yayoi to the Kofun periods; however, they were not edible livestock that provided a stable and continuous meat until ancient times. In early modern times, chickens and pigs were common as meat livestock. On the other hand, wild deer, wild ducks, and other wildlife were hunted for food until the early modern period. This suggests that the natural environment inhabited by these wild animals was conserved, but hunting gradually declined as the use of livestock increased. In addition, marine products were widely consumed in the early modern period, even in inland cities, implying the development of fishing and associated distribution networks. The increased demand for marine products during this period presumably led to the depletion of marine resources, necessitating their political management.