Kenji OKAZAKI

My specialty is often called “biological anthropology” lately, and ancient human skeletal remains excavated from archaeological sites are targeted as research materials. The purpose of my study is to examine the actual conditions of human societies during Neolithic Revolution. Concretely, 1) environments and health: how did the changes of social environments impact on the health conditions of ancient people accompanying with agricultural development? 2) Origins and formation of modern people: The beginning of agriculture caused population growth, movements and spread. How are these movements and spread linked with the diversity of physical traits observed in modern people? What process was present? I am approaching from these both aspects.

I have participated in several field projects mainly in East Asia (eg., Japan, China, Taiwan, Mongolia). Recently, my research has focused on the Neolithic Yangtze Delta, from which wet-rice domestication was originated, and the pre-Xiongnu Mongolia, during which horse-riding and nomadism were introduced respectively. This project targets on the Nomadic people of the Neolithic western Asia, and I am participating in the morphological study using their bones. I aim to clarify the variation of actual conditions during Neolithic Revolution between the both ends of Asia.

Selected publications
・Okazaki, K., Takamuku, H., Yonemoto, S., Itahashi, Y., Gakuhari, T., Yoneda, M., Chen, J. (2019) Paleopathological approach to early human adaptation for wet-rice agriculture: First case of Neolithic spinal tuberculosis at the Yangtze River Delta of China. International Journal of Paleopathology Vol. 24, pp. 236-244. ・Kono, R., Okazaki, K., Nakaza, H., Tokumine, R., Katagiri, C., Doi, N. (2018) 3D digital reconstruction, preliminary morphometric analysis, and facial approximation of Shiraho 4 skull. Anthropological Science (Japanese Series) Vol. 126, pp. 15-36. ・Kimira, Y. Okazaki, K. (2018) Faical soft tissue depth measured using ultrasonography: towards facial approximation for Japanese crania. Anthropological Science (Japanese Series) Vol. 126, pp. 37-54. ・Okazaki, K., Yonemoto, S. (2018) Morphological analysis on the human bones unearthed from the Emeelt Tolgoi site. In Excavation at Emeelt Tolgoi site. Edited by Miyamoto, K., pp. 46-53, Fukuoka: Kyushu Computer Printing Limited Company. ・Okazaki, K., Yonemoto, S. (2017) Human skeletal remains of the Bronze Age unearthed from the both sites of Khyar-Kharaach in the Govi-Altai province and Bor-Ovoo in the Bayankhongor Province, Mongol. In Excavation at Vol Ovoo and Khyauru Khyaraach sites. Edited by Miyamoto, K., pp. 55-65, Fukuoka: Kyushu Computer Printing Limited Company.