Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – Millet is among the earliest domesticated crops, and have a rich history that extends back 7,000 years. This  crop has served as a staple food source in various regions worldwide. Its grains are highly valued for their adaptability to diverse climates and their nutritional benefits, making them a main component of agricultural systems throughout history.

Millet. Image credit: Kurt Stüber – CC BY-SA 3.0

In the Central Europe, for example, millet contributed to significant transformations in people’s lives around 1500 BC, changing significantly their diet habits and living conditions. Evidence  of the earliest known cultivation and consumption of  millet, a fast-growing, high-energy plant was discovered at Tiszafüred-Majoroshalom, a key Bronze Age site in Hungary.

However, not in all societies around the world the situstion was the same.

Archaeological evidence shows that farming transformed global societies, but residue in prehistoric Japanese cooking pots indicates culinary traditions remained largely unchanged despite adopting farmed produce.

The arrival of rice farming, imported from the Korean Peninsula, marked a turning point to agricultural agriculture in Japan approximately 3,000 years ago. But while rice would eventually transform society, new evidence shows that its sister crop – millet – was largely left behind despite its popularity in Korean cooking.

Archaeologists from the Universities of York and Cambridge, along with Japan’s Nara National Research Institute, examined ancient pottery residues and charred plant remains. They found that while rice and millet were introduced to Japan together, likely by groups from southern Korea, they did not necessarily transform society.

“Organic residue analysis has been crucial to our investigation into the earliest impacts of rice and millet agriculture. It allows us to capture how these crops were actually used, offering a direct window into the culinary practices and crop interactions of early Japanese society,” Dr Jasmine Lundy, from the University of York’s Department of Archaeology said in press release.

Seed impressions found on Final Jomon and Yayoi pottery confirm that both crops were present in early farming settlements in Northern Kyushu. However, while millet was a dietary staple in Korea, especially during the Bronze Age, it is barely represented in early Japanese diets.

Yayoi pots were still used to cook fish and other wild foods, Image credit: Fukuoka City Education Board. Image source

The absence of millet from Japanese food residues and human bones was a surprise to researchers, given that we knew both rice and millet had been introduced at this time., according to Professor Oliver Craig, from the University of York’s Department of Archaeology,

“We know from isotope analysis of fats and oils in cooking pots that millet was a major part of the Korean diet, and continues to be eaten to this day, but it seemed that it made no impact on early Japanese cuisine.”

Furthermore, environmental factors could be ruled out because it is known that millet grows just as well in Japan as it does in Korea, so there was something else going on that provided a barrier to this crop being adopted in Japanese cooking.

Fish dishes – a well established culinary tradition in the country –  continued to be the main source of food – despite the arrival of two important food crops.

Dr Shinya Shoda, from the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties and honorary researcher at the University of York, said: “There is evidence of Korean-style pottery and farming tools in Japan, but this didn’t line-up with changes to the way people cooked and ate. Yayoi pots were still used to cook fish and other wild foods, and few show signs of being dedicated to rice-cooking.”

Differences Between Scandinavian And British Dietary Habits

Although the findings might have been surprising, especially considering the agricultural developments in Japan’s neighboring regions, there are instances where technological advancements did not lead to immediate transformation.

For example, in Southern Scandinavia, traditional practices such as hunting, fishing, and gathering wild foods lasted for many years even after farming was introduced.

In contrast, other areas in Britain experienced a swift shift from foraging to agriculture.

“As we notice shifts in pottery styles and other material culture in Japan with the introduction of rice and millet, it’s intriguing how food culture remains remarkably stable,” Professor Craig observed.

“Although Japan’s culinary history eventually aligns with the ‘rice boom’ seen in Korea, it appears that this transition took time to influence daily practices. This suggests that food culture is profoundly rooted and resilient enough to endure significant technological changes.”

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Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Staff Writer