the sword of iron dako largest found in Japan so far it has been discovered in the kofun tumulus of Tomio Maruyama in Nara city.
Its blade is of the serpentine type, it also has scabbard and guard marks. As a whole, its length is 2.6 meters and 6 centimeters wide, becoming considered by experts as the the greatest iron sword from the late 4th century found throughout East Asia.
The possibility that it was used as a combat tool is low, experts say.
When the excavation team discovered the artifacts, they revealed that the length of the sword was so impressive that they initially thought it was several swords laid lengthwise, counting given the staggering dimensions of the sword.
Dakō Iron Sword found. Credit: Nara City Board of Education.
Kosaku OkabayashiDeputy Director of Kashihara Archaeological Institute in Nara, explained that “these findings indicate that the technology of Kofun period (300-710 AD) goes beyond what had been imagined, and the objects found are masterpieces of metalwork of the time.
other discoveries
In the same tumulus was found a large bronze mirror in the shape of a shield. It is the first of its kind found in all of Japan.
Both finds have been classified by archaeologists as national treasures.
The shield shaped mirror it is 64 centimeters long, 31 cm wide and weighs 5.7 kilograms. It has a patterned surface bearing the designs of two daryū mirrors more common, with designs based on mythical creatures, which have been found mainly in western Japan.
Shield-shaped mirror discovered in the burial mound of Tomio Maruyama. Credit: Nara City Board of Education.
Protectors in the afterlife
Both the mirror and the shields were considered tools to protect the dead from evil spirits. It is believed that the size of the sword was enlarged to increase its “power”.
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According to Naohiro Toyoshima, a professor of archeology at Nara University, “the ritual sword and shield-shaped mirror may indicate that the individual to whom it belonged was involved in military affairs.”
It is believed that the Tomio Maruyama burial mound It is the largest in Japan at 109 meters in diameter and dating from the late 4th century, it belonged to a powerful individual who supported the Yamato rulers of the time, as kofun burial mounds were built for members of the class leader.
References: Japan Times.
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