著者

木下 尚子

出版者

熊本大学

雑誌

文学部論叢 (ISSN:03887073)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.103, pp.13-27, 2012-03-10

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A unique prehistoric culture (Fringing Reef Culture) developed in the Ryukyu islands between Kyushu and Taiwan together with the formation of coral reefs. This paper discussed its characteristics, combining Naoichi KOKUBU's division of the islands into three cultural areas, and a classification of the relation among the islands based on their geographical relation to their cultural bases Kyushu or Taiwan respectively and on their mutual distance being with eyesight or not. An investigation of examples referring to both concepts concludes that the movement of people and thus development of cultures only occurs if either (1) the neighbouring island is within eyesight, or (2) an economic relationship exists. The Yaeyama archipelago "cannot be seen from Taiwan but Taiwan is within eyesight from Yaeyama", but it was cut off culturally over a long period of time; most probably because of features of the culture of Yaeyama itself. Since fringing reefs developed at the east coast of Taiwan like in the Ryukyu islands, the sea between Taiwan and Yaeyama can be understood as the southern border of the Fringing Reef Culture.