A gourd-shaped jug estimated to be about 2,000 years old has been unearthed at a Yayoi Period ruins in Kitakyushu.

KITAKYUSHU (Kyodo) A gourd-shaped jug has recently been dug up at the ruins of a Yayoi Period dwelling that dates back some 2,000 years, local officials said.

The earthenware jug was found at the Naganooto archaeological site in Kitakyushu's Kokura-minami Ward, they said.

Gourd-shaped earthenware is rare in Japan, and it is the first time in Kyushu that such an artifact has been discovered intact, according to the Kitakyushu Municipal Board of Education.

The jug is about 18.5 cm high and has a 500-cc capacity. Archaeologists believe the jug was used in rites.