One of the most fascinating types of impressed decoration is the cord marking on the Jomon pottery of neolithic Japan. The Jomon period continued for several thousand years, ending about 300 B.C. , and several distinct styles developed. The interest in cod-impressed texture continued throughout the period although it did not appear on all the pottery. The name Jomon, meaning "cord-marked", first applied to the pottery by a 19th century scholar, became the name for the entire culture. These tools can be rolled on soft slabs or on the walls of pots using the palm and fingers.