The Jōmon period is the time in Japanese prehistory, traditionally dated between c. 14,000–300 BCE.
During Jōmon period Japan was inhabited by a diverse hunter-gatherer and early agriculturalist population united through a common Jōmon culture, which reached a considerable degree of sedentism and cultural complexity.
The Jōmon period, which encompasses a great expanse of time, constitutes Japan’s Neolithic period. Its name is derived from the “cord markings” that characterize the ceramics made during this time.