OSAKA -- The board of education of the city of Shijonawate, Osaka Prefecture, on Tuesday announced that a number of wooden artifacts that appear to be parts of a stand dating from the early fifth century have been discovered at the city's Kamada ruins.
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| An education board official demonstates how a wooden stand recently unearthed might have been used. |
The area is known to have been a grazing ground for horses at around the time and board officials said the wooden stand may have been used for placing swords upon during some type of ritual involving horses.
The stand consists of four parts -- an umbrella-like stand measuring 12 cm with a diameter of 26 cm, a 47-cm long stick that can be inserted into it, a stick that appears to serve as a support and a wooden slab measuring 16.3 cm by 25 cm with a groove that would hold up something placed on it.
The parts were all found within a one-meter radius at the site and officials have determined that they were used as a single unit. When assembled, the stand comes to a height of about 70 cm.
Education board officials said they believe it is the first time ritual-related artifacts that require assembly have been unearthed.
A separate stand and wooden slab were found nearby and officials said it is possible that the two stands were used as a pair to hold wooden swords or wooden bows as offerings to the gods.
In addition to the wooden artifacts, the bones of horses' jaws and legs were also found, suggesting that horses may have been sacrificed there.