Yayoi settlements

Yayoi settlements refer to communities established during Japan's Yayoi period (around 300 BCE to 300 CE), characterized by the emergence of more organized and sophisticated villages. These settlements typically featured raised rice paddy fields, pottery, and metal tools, reflecting advances in agriculture, craft, and social structure. They marked a transition from earlier hunter-gatherer societies to more sedentary, agrarian societies with defined social hierarchy and increased population density. These settlements laid the foundation for Japan’s later cultural and political developments, representing a significant stage in the island nation's early development.