Himiko and Japan's Elusive Chiefdom of Yamatai: Archaeology, History, and Mythology
by J. Edward Kidder Jr. (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 3 ratings
The third-century Chinese chronicle Wei zhi (Record of Wei) is responsible for Japan’s most enduring ancient mystery. This early history tells of a group of islands off the China coast that were dominated by a female shaman named Himiko. Himiko ruled for more than half a century as head of the largest chiefdom, traditionally known as Yamatai, until her death in 248. Yet no such person appears in the old Japanese literature. Who was Himiko and where was the Yamatai she governed? In this, the most comprehensive treatment in English to date, a senior scholar of early Japan turns to three sources―historical, archaeological, and mythological―to provide a multifaceted study of Himiko and ancient Japanese society.
Japan in Five Ancient Chinese Chronicles: Wo, the Land of Yamatai,…
Editorial Reviews
Review
One of the best books in recent years on the ancient history of Japan because of the author’s wide-ranging knowledge and meticulous research; all recent archaeological discoveries are detailed and relevant theories are examined. As the most up-to-date source of academic information on ancient Japan, this book is essential reading for scholars of Japanology. ― Religious Studies Review
The most comprehensive and persuasive treatment in English to date of the great ancient Japanese mystery that has captured the imagination of the Japanese: the location of Yamatai and the identity of its female shaman leader, Himiko. . . . In what must be the magnum opus and capstone of his illustrious career, Kidder meticulously and thoroughly examines all historical, archaeological, and mythological materials, creating a grand synthesis. . . . Highly recommended. ― CHOICE
From the Back Cover
"Given the author's long and distinguished career in the archaeological study of Japan, a retrospective summary of the archaeology alone is a significant event. Add tothis his very thorough examination of textual sources, and the result is a truly unique, multi-faceted study of ancient Japanese society."--Walter Edwards, Tenri University
"Using a balanced combination of archaeology and historical texts, Professor Kidder gives a marvelously rich portrait of life in Yayoi Japan."--Mark Hudson, University of Tsukuba
Read more
Product details
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press (February 28, 2007)
Customer reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
Top review from the United States
Silent Night
4.0 out of 5 stars An Important WorkReviewed in the United States on February 15, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is an encyclopaedic compilation of a massive amount of fact relating to the centuries of argument on the location of the Land of Yamatai, and the identity of its female Japanese ruler, Himiko, discussed in the Chinese Wei Chronicles (c. 290s CE. Detailed instructions were given on how to get to Yamatai from what is now North Korea and if you followed them you would have ended up wallowing in the ocean. Himiko was never listed in the official genealogy of the Imperial House and therefore, as a mysterious Chinese ink blot on the Imperial line of descent, she had to be located somewhere other than in the Land of Yamato. Heroic efforts have been made over hundreds of years to place her elsewhere, especially in Kyushu. Kidder follows the whole of this argument and the huge amount of archaeology that has contributed to this, the greatest controversy of Japanese history. It is not a book for the faint-hearted. Reading it is hard slog, but for those who have long heard of Himiko and her polity of Yamatai, it details the state of the art up to about the year 2007. It gives you a firm footing among the quicksand, making it possible for the first time to think in an informed way about this important part of the history of ancient Japan.
12 people found this helpful
==
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.