5.Jomon Period
The era where humans constructed pit-dwellings and permanently inhabited the area began when the ice age ended and the climate became warmer. However, very few ruins have been found in Hokkaido from the early Jomon Period, and the ruins found in Tokoro are from approximately 8,500 years ago and later.
"Jomon pottery", which featured rope patterns pressed into the pottery surfaces, was used during this period which is why it has come to be called the Jomon Period. Jomon pottery features a variety of patterns and shapes, with different characteristics depending on the period and region from which it originated. For example, while cylindrical shaped pottery was characteristic in this region during the middle Jomon Period, the designs became much more diverse in the later and end stages of the period, and featured much more showy and decorative works.
While distinctive pottery was produced for each region, there was also active trade over wider areas. Many unearthed relics; including jade from Itoigawa, products using Japanese lacquer, which is not indigenous to Hokkaido, and more; illustrate the ties with the main island of Honshu and other areas.