九州と台湾の間に点在する島々は，今日，琉球列島あるいは南西諸島という名で知られている．琉球列島の先史学は最近までおもに地方史という形で検証されていた．また，「列島」あるいは「諸島」といわれながらも，「島」の特徴をもとにした研究はなされていなかった．単なる地方史にすぎなかった琉球列島の先史時代を，島の特徴を考慮しつつ（「島」のコンテクストから）検証すると，人類史に斬新なテータを提供する可能性が明らかになりつつある．本論ではそのうちの2点について紹介する．まず，更新世末期にヒト（Homo sapiens）がいた点である．「島」のコンテクストでみると，完新世以前にヒトが存在した島は世界的にもあまり知られていない．次に，ヒトが島嶼環境に適応すると，環境の劣悪化がおこるといわれている．しかし，最新のデータをもとに考察すると，先史時代の琉球列島の島々では，ヒトによる環境への影響が顕著にみとめられない．この点も世界的に大変稀な現象である．

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With the development of sedentary agriculture based on the cultivation of maize in the New World, the Feline cult emerged with the new agricultural ceremony. There are many archaeological remains related to the Feline cult, especially in the Andes and Mesoamerica where the cult flourished. The Feline cult reached its peak in the Chavin and Olmec cultures, and succeeding cultures were very much influenced by its religious beliefs and customs until the time the Spaniards arrived on the continent, though the character of the Feline god did change by the addition of some new attributes and by its absorption into the more complicated pantheon system. However, there is reliable evidence, such as the ceramic and bone objects representating the feline found in the Huallaga River basin, in the Central Highlands of Peru, which indicates that the custom of worshipping the feline animal had already begun during the pre-Chavin cultures. During this same pre-Chavin period, and separate from the agricultural ceremony, traces of special funeral rites for the local chiefs, etc., have been found. Magnificent stone tombs were constructed and among the items of offering for funeral use have been found vessels which on one side show a representation of the human face and the other side a face which is Jaguar-human ; the two effigies contrast with each other and are evidently a reflection of some dualistic idea. Such dualistic aspects can also be seen in the representations of' Chavin and Olmec art. The main theme of this paper is to inquire into the meaning and character of this kind of dual concept as it was expressed through the Feline cult. As the best examples to demonstrate this theme, I have chosen and reviewed ceramic wares and stone sculptures from Chavin art and stone effigy axes and masks from Olmec art. Also, I have revised prevailing ethnographic data on the Jaguar animal ancestor mythology, the Jaguar-Shaman transformation story, and the relationship between the Feline cult and shamanism in the New World. Through consideration of both archaeological materials and ethnological data, I have concluded that the dual aspect representation of the Feline cult must correspond to the dual role that would have been played by the chief-shaman priest in ancient times.

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