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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bonedigger, post: 119139, member: 4367&quot;]Ancient coins offer clue to riverside ritual 1,300 years ago</p><p>03/13/2006</p><p><br /></p><p>The Asahi Shimbun</p><p>YAO, Osaka Prefecture--Everybody at some time has tossed a coin into a fountain, or elsewhere, for good luck. It turns out the practice has been around for well over 1,000 years, probably longer.</p><p><br /></p><p>That, archaeologists say, may explain the recent discovery of rare copper coins from the Nara (710-784) and early Heian (794-1185) periods at a dried-up riverbed here.</p><p><br /></p><p>The coins are special because they are what are known as Kocho-Junisen, a term used for 12 types of copper coins minted in Japan by the imperial court of the time.</p><p><br /></p><p>These included so-called Kangen-Taiho coins that were minted in 958 and were the last &quot;made in Japan&quot; coinage before the imperial court switched to relying on imports from China.</p><p><br /></p><p>Archaeologists said seven types of coins were discovered, along with fragments of earthenware jars that suggest they were tossed into a tributary of the Yamatogawa river in a ritual to bring salvation and ward off illness. Distinctive faces were painted in black ink on the small containers.</p><p><br /></p><p>In total, 23 Kocho-Junisen coins were found out at the site. The coins all were stamped with the Chinese character mon, which apparently specified its value.</p><p><br /></p><p>Researchers speculated the coins were intentionally tossed into the river.</p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;Maybe it was a public servant, or someone who was in such a position who could obtain coins, who repeatedly conducted the rituals by the river,&quot; said a board of education official.</p><p><br /></p><p>The tributary ran north-south for about 80 meters and is between 10 and 15 meters wide. The coins were found scattered along the entire stretch of old waterway.</p><p><br /></p><p>One coin, known as Wado Kaichin, is thought to be the first copper coin minted in Japan. Researchers dated it to 708.</p><p><br /></p><p>Other precious finds include five so-called Ryuhei Eiho coins from 796; seven Showa Shoho coins from 835, and one Teikan Eiho coin from 870.</p><p><br /></p><p>Most of the coins had been freshly minted when they were tossed into the river.</p><p><br /></p><p>In 1998, 61 Wado Kaichin coins were excavated from the site.</p><p><br /></p><p>Archaeologists say religious rites and other ritual ceremonies were probably performed along the riverbank for 100 years or so.</p><p><br /></p><p>Masayoshi Mizuno, professor emeritus of archaeology at Nara University, said: &quot;It is extremely rare to discover a batch of Kocho-Junisen together at one site.&quot;(IHT/Asahi: March 13,2006)</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200603130125.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200603130125.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200603130125.html</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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