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Welcome to the History of the World Podcast. My name is Chris. This is episode 17, the first villages. Oh, We are on the Japanese islands and the year is 13,500 B.C.

Humans have been on these islands for at least the last 20,000 years.

The people of Japan have been living in hunter-gatherer societies. As of yet, there has been no categorical signs of agriculture

or farming. The islands of Japan are very fertile with plenty of forests allowing the people to forage for

nuts and berries.

The fibrous material of plants is being used to construct baskets and nets,

with which a couple of men punting along the river's edge in their hollowed out log can capture salmon with their hooks and

spears. After they have a good amount of fish they make their way back to the shore and where there is a clearing at the forest's

edge. They hang the salmon out to dry on a purpose-built wooden frame that sits next to a wooden hut

shelter which has carefully been constructed over a large narrow pit which has been dug into the ground.

Large posts hold up the huts which are covered in thatched material for shelter

and are suitable to comfortably hold an entire family.

Alongside the hut, there are four other huts, with each containing another friendly family eager to assist with the preparation of the salmon that has been fished and the nuts that have been foraged.

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