Japanese Journal of Human Geography

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Many works have been proposed as to the location of settlements in Yayoi era. But the problems about the character and origin of upland settlements have been not yet solved. There are a variety of views about its character and origin. There are as follows; (A) Hill-Fort or Camp, (B) settlement for arable farming, (C) upland settlement refuged from flood, (D) religious settlement etc.
In this article I examined sites of Yayoi settlements in Osaka prefecture and arrived at the following conclusions.
i) The location of sites are different from the 1st period to the 5th period in Yayoi era.
ii) The number of settlements are rapidly increased in the 3rd and the 5th period. In the former period settlements increased on upland and in the latter they increased both on upland and on lowland.
iii) Great disturbances happened two times in Yayoi era, at least in Osaka prefecture. These disturbances correspond to the great rebellions before and after Queen ‘Himiko’ recorded in historical writings of ancient China.
iv) Some settlements on upland surely had the militaly function under the background of the disturbances above mentioned.
v) Some settlements refuged from flood were also formed in the 4th and the 5th period.
vi) In the 3rd and the 5th period the population growth with the advance of product and the spread of the space of life are notably recognized.

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