Events

Did the Jomon people eat natto? – Exploring the possibility of natto-like fermented foods in the Jomon period –

Overview

Recent archaeobotanical research has revealed that soybeans (Glycine soja) existed in Japan from the very beginning of the Jomon period, approximately 13,000 years ago, and were continuously used until the late Jomon period. Based on this fact, research is underway to investigate how soybeans were cooked and used during the Jomon period, and in this process, the presence or absence of natto-type fermented foods has emerged as a major question.
To address this challenge, our research team is conducting studies from various fields, including impression analysis of Jomon period pottery, protein structure analysis of excavated carbonized materials, isotope analysis, reconstruction of wild soybean natto using experimental archaeology, and food analysis using bioscience.

This symposium aims to deepen our understanding of natto culture around the world and to discuss the potential of natto-based foods in the Jomon period, as revealed by the aforementioned research.

Detailed information