Photo/Illutration Officials display the ancient iron sword unearthed at the Tomiomaruyama kofun to the media in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, on June 27. (Masaru Komiyaji)

KASHIHARA, Nara Prefecture--An iron sword that at more than 2 meters long ranks as the largest intact ancient blade ever discovered in Japan is heavily oxidized after being buried in soil for centuries, making cleaning and restoration a drawn-out process.

The artifact was unearthed late last year at the Tomiomaruyama kofun, the nation’s largest round kofun burial mound, in Nara city. The site dates to the second half of the fourth century.

The sword was shown to the media at the Nara prefectural Archaeological Institute of Kashihara here for the first time on June 27.

It is 2.37 meters long and about 6 cm wide and of a type called “dakoken,” meaning the blade is slightly bent, like a snake. 

The Nara city board of education unearthed the artifact, along with a shield-shaped bronze mirror, during excavation work last December.

The discoveries were announced in January.

Both items were covered with soil when they were found.

The Nara prefectural Archaeological Institute of Kashihara, which jointly conducted the excavation, is handling the preservation work.

The sword was shown to media representatives June 27 after the soil was removed from one side of the blade.

Since the announcement in January, the institute determined that the sword was originally housed in a wooden sheath, though from which type of tree is not known.

The blade appears to have seven curves.

Officials also found traces of lacquer on the sheath and the hilt. They believe that red pigment made from cinnabar adorned the sheath and the hilt.

Officials expect to finish removing soil from the other side of the sword this autumn.

However, it remains to be seen when the sword will be shown to the public.

Naohiro Toyoshima, a professor of archaeology at Nara University, and an expert on swords from the Kofun Period (third century to seventh century), said the sword was very likely a burial accessory.

Toyoshima noted that the sword was buried not just as a blade but with the decorative sheath and hilt. He added that part of the hilt and the sheath appeared to overlap.

“The entire picture will emerge when officials turn the sword over and carefully remove the soil.”

(This article was written by Kenji Shimizu and Kunihiko Imai.)

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