2. National Treasure Gold-inlaid Iron Sword

The burial chambers of the Inariyama Burial Mound were found in 1968 during an excavation project, and in 1978, research on an excavated iron sword led to the discovery of 115 characters made of inlaid gold strings.

Because the Kofun Period was believed to be preliterate, this created a sensation, and was dubbed “the greatest discovery of the century.” The sword was designated as a national treasure in 1983.

To map