A new stone wall of Edo Castle was found at the site of the excavation survey associated with the construction work in the Imperial Palace, and was opened to the press.
It is believed to be the oldest remaining stone wall of Edo Castle in the early Edo period, and it is expected that there will be new discoveries about the natural environment and the state of the castle construction at that time.
Is it from the early Edo period?
The new stone wall of Edo Castle was found at the site of the excavation survey associated with the reconstruction work of the "Sannomaru Shozokan" at the Imperial Palace East Imperial Garden, which houses and displays works of art related to the imperial family.
It was first released to the press on the 13th.
The stone wall is 16 meters wide and 4 meters high, and stones are piled up in about 7 steps, and a technique different from the stone wall of Edo Castle, which has been known so far, is used.
According to the Chiyoda Ward that conducted the survey, it is believed to be from the latter half of the Keicho period to the Genna period, which is about 400 years ago in the early Edo period, and is considered to be the oldest stone wall in Edo Castle that still remains.
Except for the top tier, many were presumed to have been in the water or soil, and traces of digging into the original terrain were also found.
It was hoped that there would be new discoveries about the natural environment and the state of the castle construction at that time, and in February, His Majesty the Emperor also visited and saw it.
Since the stone wall may collapse, the Imperial Household Agency will change the design of the building and extend the period by about one year for the rebuilding work of "Sannomaru Shozokan" because it will be backfilled and preserved in the future. It is a policy to respond by doing so.
Characterized by masonry High value as historical material
According to Chiyoda Ward, where the archaeological excavation was conducted, stone walls in the Keicho period are often reloaded due to structural weakness, and there are few cases that remain nationwide.
The stone wall found this time seems to have been buried as it was at the time of its construction, and is considered to be highly valuable as a historical document.
The characteristic is the method of stacking stone walls, which uses a technique called "random stacking" in which large and small stones are loaded after processing the surface and joint surface of the stones to be flat.
Furthermore, it was confirmed that a technique different from the stone walls of Edo Castle, which has been known so far, is used, such as stuffing stones like Kawaraishi with rounded corners between the stones.
In addition, there is a band-shaped white line on the stone wall that seems to have been formed by the water current at that time, and it is estimated that most of the stone walls were in the water or soil except for the top row.
In addition, many stamps can be seen, which may be a clue to guess the daimyo who was involved in the construction.
Edo Castle has been undergoing full-scale expansion and renovation since the beginning of the Edo period, and based on the analysis of collected soil and the observation results of stone walls, new discoveries were made about the natural environment and the state of the castle construction in the early Edo period. It is expected that there will be.
Expert "At the turning point of Edo Castle research"
Professor Emeritus Masatoshi Ono of the National Museum of Japanese History and Folklore, who participated in the excavation, said, "Until now, little was known about the early appearance of Edo Castle. I can evaluate it. "
He added, "It can be regarded as a relic that tells the first page of a major historical milestone that changes from the Warring States period to the Edo period." If there is something, I hope that the relationship between the shogunate and various daimyo at that time will be visible. "