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The Ice Age ended and eastern Asia began to look like it does presently. Many different small-scale societies were present and many were culturally distinct from their neighbors. The exchange of ideas and goods took place between these groups, and also between societies in Korea and the Amur River Valley in Russia. The small pink areas represent these many distinct cultures interacting and exchanging information, including non-Jomon societies in Korea and Russia. It is important to note, however, that around 80% of all Jomon sites are located in the northern half of Honshu and Hokkaido.
Pottery began to be used by the people of Japan. Whether it was invented locally or introduced by trade with the Asian mainland is unknown, but its use changed the local "Microlithic" cultures dramatically and started what archaeologists call the "Jomon" period - named after an impressed pottery decoration used extensively during the middle of this era. This pottery is some of the oldest in the world.
In Hokkaido, the end of the Ice Age brought a major climactic shift to the region resulting in warmer weather and more rainfall. Ice Age mammals, such as mammoth, died off but were replaced by bear and deer. Fishing continued and became the main subsistence strategy for some groups. New plants to the region brought a wealth of edible seeds and roots and agriculture was started on a small scale. Resources were plentiful enough that a nomadic lifestyle was not needed for most of the year, which resulted in houses becoming more permanent (shifting from above-ground temporary housing to pithouses). Archaeological material suggests that decorative motifs on clothing, such as spirals, were similar to those used by Ainu people today.
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