The Kojindani Sword Find,In 1983 some construction workers near Kojindani, Japan were busy building

The Kojindani Sword Find,In 1983 some construction workers near Kojindani, Japan were busy building a logging road when they stumbled upon one of the greatest archaeological finds of Japanese history. The area around Kojindani is known for many Yayoi Period ruins and sites, however this find would become a national treasure of Japan.  Discovered at the site was a hoard of bronze weapons, 358 swords, 16 spearhead and halberds, as well as 6 bronze bells. The Yayoi Period (300 BC - 300 AD) is a little known period of history and not a lot of written records exist from the era. The Kojindani sword find is important for fleshing out a little known era of Japanese history.The swords themselves were found stashed in eleven rows, almost as if in storage.None of the swords or other weapons were sharpened, leading to the theory that they might not have been actual weapons but ceremonial pieces. They could also have been blanks, saved to be sharpened some time in the future. Each measure between 50 to 53 cm’s long (19 - 20 inches). Today the entire collection is housed in the Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo. At the Kojindani sight itself the swords, spearheads, and bells have been replaced with realistic looking replicas. -- source link

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