Before the research of quite recent years, the Incipient Jomon pottery vessels of Japan had clear claim to the distinction of being "first in the world," the present work shows that it may be quite some time now before any question of "first" can be resolved, as continuing discoveries show quite comparably early pottery appearing over an increasingly broad front in eastern Asia. This book will be of interest to a broad cross-section of readers: those interested in the history, technology, and functions of pottery; those who will appreciate the attention it pays to ecology, context and process...