A tumulus located in Nara City is home to many valuable discoveries, including the longest iron sword in ancient East Asia, and the city has discovered that most of the wooden coffins remained in the same shape as when they were buried. This was discovered through an investigation by the Board of Education. Metal detectors were also tested, and it is hoped that clues to the identity of the person buried in this coffin may be found.
Tomio Maruyama Tumulus in Nara City is said to have been built in the latter half of the 4th century.
Left Bronze Mirror Right Serpentine Sword
Last year's excavations revealed a wavy-shaped iron sword known as the "serpentine sword," said to be the longest in ancient East Asia, and one of Japan's largest bronze mirrors in the shape of a shield. are being found one after another.
During a series of investigations, a wooden coffin called a ``split bamboo-shaped wooden coffin'' was also found, which was carved out of a single log, but it had been backburied.
Starting in December of last year, the Nara City Board of Education dug it up again and examined it in detail, and found that the coffin was approximately 70 centimeters wide and over 5 meters long, and most of it remained in its original form without rotting away. I understand that.
Part of the lid of the coffin was broken and soil poured in, making it impossible to see what was inside, but a metal detector was detected, so starting on the 7th, the soil will be removed and the inside will be examined.
Masaki Kanekata, Director, Nara City Buried Cultural Properties Research Center
: ``The coffin is in good condition, and there is a possibility that grave goods such as ironware and bronzeware may be found.We may be able to find clues to the identity of the buried person.''
Was the special environment maintained and the corrosion of the wood suppressed?
Experts believe that the reason why the wooden coffin did not rot and disappear for 1,600 years is because a special environment was maintained inside the tomb to prevent the wood from rotting.
The area where the wooden coffin was found in the Tomio Maruyama Tumulus had not been looted, and the area around it was covered with thick clay.
Regarding the reason why the wooden coffin was not lost, President Setsuo Imazu of Nara University, who specializes in conservation science, said that because the surrounding area was covered with clay, it was sealed like a canned food, resulting in a lack of oxygen and microbial activity. It is thought that there is a possibility that the bacteria were suppressed, and that copper melted out of the bronze mirror that was placed with the coffin, resulting in a bactericidal effect.
Setsuo Imazu, President of Nara University
: ``Wooden coffins placed in ancient tombs often rot and are lost, and it is extremely rare to find them intact.In the same way, grave goods such as wooden sword sheaths and cloth, which are also perishable, have been found.'' There is a possibility. I'm looking forward to future investigations to find out what kind of things are inside the coffin, which can be called a ``time capsule of the Kofun period.''
Will it lead to elucidation of the gender and social status of the deceased?
Professor Shinya Fukunaga of Osaka University, who specializes in archeology, says that most of the wooden coffins have remained in their original form, and he is hopeful that more results than he imagined will emerge one after another.
Professor Shinya Fukunaga of Osaka University said
, ``There are only a few cases in Japan where most of the wooden coffins from the Kofun period remain.The burial method of this coffin was very careful, indicating that a person of high status was buried there. There is a possibility that future excavations could uncover items such as textiles, lacquerware, human bones and teeth, which would normally rot, and could lead to the discovery of the gender and social status of the deceased. "The investigation of the Tomio Maruyama Tumulus has yielded results one after another that are beyond imagination, and it has a charm that does not allow researchers to make predictions."
What is Tomio Maruyama Tumulus?
Tomio Maruyama Kofun is a large round tumulus that is said to have been built in the late 4th century during the early Kofun period.
It is located on the Yada Hills, approximately 6 kilometers west of the center of Nara City, and during the first survey conducted by Nara Prefecture in 1971, burial facilities and grave goods were found at the top of the mountain.
Furthermore, in 2017, Nara City conducted a detailed survey using a laser, which revealed that it was 20 meters larger than originally thought, with a diameter of approximately 110 meters, making it the largest circular tomb in Japan.
The surface of the three-tiered structure was covered with stones, and it is believed that clay clay figures were placed around the mound.
Burial facilities have been confirmed not only near the top of the tumulus, but also in a rectangular area called ``Tsukuridashi,'' which juts out to the northeast.Last year's survey found that this ``Tsukuridashi'' part was home to a ``serpentine sword'' and one of Japan's largest azure swords. Copper mirrors were also found.