a newsletteron ryukyuan okinawan studies（a newsletteron ryukyuan okinawan studies）.doc

The Ryukyuanist A Newsletter on Ryukyuan/Okinawan Studies Number 57 Autumn 2002 In this issue, Professor Erika Kaneko reviews an “omnibus” volume full of eager rider’s contributions in honor of Professor HIGA Masao on his successful completion of tenure with the National Museum for History and Ethnic Cultures (p. 2). Dr. Victor Okim reports on the donation of the late Edward O. Freimuth’s collection of materials related to Ryukyu/Okinawa (p. 5). The desk contributes a light-hearted leader (p. 1). A serious announcement is on the end(p. 8). YONAGUNI: Remains of a Lost and Forgotten Civilization? The legendary continent of Atlantis went down beneath the waves during the period of rising sea levels, roughly from 20,000 to 8,000 years ago. This was part of a global catastrophe that affected all parts of the world. Many coastal areas, islands, land bridges and continents (ones that are imaginary so far like Atlantis, Lemuria, Mu, etc. as well as real one likes Sundaland) disappeared. Twenty thousand years ago, when the average sea level was about 130 meters lower than today, the present-day Ryukyu Islands were a peninsula jutting out of what is Taiwan today, which was part of the Asian continent. Todays Japan and Korea were also part of this continent, and today’s East China Sea was a long narrow bay open to the ocean at today’s Tokara Gap. The Sea of Japan was landlocked, literally an inland sea. There was no Yellow Sea. People and animals could walk into the Ryukyu peninsula from the continent. People who settled in, or passed through, the Ryukyu peninsula have left their mark as Minatogawa Man, dated about 18,000 years ago. Today’s Ryuku Islands lack archaeological evidence supporting the hypothesis that an ancient civilization may have existed on them. But progress in earth science encourages a different speculation: i.e., a civilization that may have existed on Ryuku peninsula disappeared as the