In the news: Huge boulders of ancient pond unearthed in Nara

Japanese archaeologists say they have unearthed huge boulders that were used to wall a pond at the site of an ancient imperial palace in western Japan.

The discovery was made at the Asukakyo Enchi garden, which dates back more than 1,300 years, in Asuka Village in Nara Prefecture. The garden was discovered in 1999.

The researchers from the prefecture’s archaeological institute have excavated one of 2 ponds in the garden. They recently found huge boulders piled up in more than 3 tiers on the eastern slope of the pond.

The boulders were arranged over a distance of 30 meters. The largest, weighing about 2 tons, was 1.5 meters wide and one-meter high.

The archaeologists say it is the first time that such huge boulders have been found used for ancient ponds.

An expert says that builders probably used the massive stones to show off the power of the emperor.

Source: NHK, November 29, 2011

Further reading:

飛鳥京跡

Reviewing the ruins of the Asuka-kyo and Fujiwara-kyo, the first imperial capitals of Japan