Archaeologists excavating in Nara Prefecture, Japan have discovered the remains of pit houses and ditches that indicate the boundaries of a settlement.
This fourth century settlement was unearthed at the Nakanishi ruin archaeological site. It is believed that the newly revealed site could have been built alongside the nearby Akitsu ruins, which if proves to be true, would make this one of the largest fourth century settlements in Japan.
Fumiaki Imao, senior researcher at the Archaeological Institute of Kashihara has said that “the site occupies a prominent area,” and that it may have been used for rituals that were carried out by the early Yamato imperial court. Little is known about the actions of the Yamato imperial court during the fourth century, but archaeologists hope that their continuing excavation of this site will be able to offer fresh insights to the rituals that occurred.