Possible Ancient Banquet Hall Uncovered in Central Japan

News February 22, 2018

SHARE:

NARA PREFECTURE, JAPAN—A seventh-century banquet hall measuring more than 60 feet long has been unearthed in the historic town of Asuka, according to a report in The Asahi Shimbun. The building was found near the site of the one of the country’s oldest Buddhist temples. The hall is thought to have been part of a complex described in an eighth-century account of banquets and sumo tournaments hosted by the imperial court for dignitaries visiting from the outskirts of the Asuka kingdom. For more, go to “Japan’s Early Anglers.”

  • Features January/February 2018

    Where the Ice Age Caribou Ranged

    Searching for prehistoric hunting grounds in an unlikely place

    Read Article
    (Paul Nicklen/National Geographic Creative)
  • Letter From Albania January/February 2018

    A Road Trip Through Time

    As a new pipeline cuts its way through the Balkans, archaeologists in Albania are grabbing every opportunity to expose the country’s history—from the Neolithic to the present

    Read Article
    (TAP/G. Shkullaku)
  • Artifacts January/February 2018

    Roman Dog Statue

    Read Article
    (Eve Andreski/Courtesy Gloucester County Council)
  • Digs & Discoveries January/February 2018

    The Secrets of Sabotage

    Read Article
    (Bjørn Harry Schønhaug)