SAKURAI, JAPAN—The discovery of another building at the Makimuku archaeological site, which is located near the ancient capital of Nara, suggests that the third-century complex was home to Queen Himiko and perhaps her successor, Toyo, who are mentioned in early Chinese documents. “The latest finding virtually confirms that the buildings stood in a regular geometry along the central axis of a quadrangular area stretching 150 meters from east to west. That is an extraordinary dimension for third-century artifacts,” Hironobu Ishino of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Archaeology, explained to The Asahi Shimbun.
Third-Century Palace Unearthed in Japan
News February 7, 2014
Recommended Articles
Off the Grid January/February 2025
Tzintzuntzan, Mexico
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2025
Bad Moon Rising
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2025
100-Foot Enigma
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2025
Colonial Companions
-
Features January/February 2014
Stone Towns of the Swahili Coast
Along 2,000 miles of the East African coast, the sophisticated trading centers of the medieval Swahili reveal their origins and influences
(Samir S. Patel) -
Letter from England January/February 2014
The Scientist's Garden
Excavations in an English garden reveal the evolution of the nation's culture across thousands of years
(Adam Stanford, Aerial-Cam) -
Artifacts January/February 2014
Limestone Eagle
(Matthew Helmer) -
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2014
French Revolution Forgeries?
(Courtesy Davide Pettener/Paolo Garagnani)