KASHIHARA, Nara Pref. (Kyodo) Scientific dating of an ancient burial mound in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, supports the theory that it marks the final resting place of the famed female ruler Himiko, a group of archaeologists said Friday. Dated to the mid-third century, the mound's construction roughly corresponds to the queen's reign.
Queen Himiko ruled the Yamatai Kingdom from about the end of the second century till her death around 248, according to descriptions contained in ancient Chinese histories.
But the location of the kingdom has been a matter of hot dispute in Japanese archaeology, where views are divided between Kyushu and the Kinki region.