Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Roman jewellery found in ancient Japan tomb
Nineman.com.au ^ | Friday, June 22, 2012 | AFP

Posted on 06/22/2012 3:03:28 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

Glass jewellery believed to have been made by Roman craftsmen has been found in an ancient tomb in Japan, researchers said Friday, in a sign the empire's influence may have reached the edge of Asia.

Tests have revealed three glass beads discovered in the Fifth Century "Utsukushi" burial mound in Nagaoka, near Kyoto, were probably made some time between the first and the fourth century, the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties said.

The government-backed institute has recently finished analysing components of the glass beads, measuring five millimetres (0.2 inches) in diametre, with tiny fragments of gilt attached.

It found that the light yellow beads were made with natron, a chemical used to melt glass by craftsmen in the empire, which succeeded the Roman Republic in 27 BC and was ultimately ended by the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.

The beads, which have a hole through the middle, were made with a multilayering technique -- a relatively sophisticated method in which craftsmen piled up layers of glass, often sandwiching gold leaf in between.

"They are one of the oldest multilayered glass products found in Japan, and very rare accessories that were believed to be made in the Roman Empire and sent to Japan," said Tomomi Tamura, a researcher at the institute.

The Roman Empire was concentrated around the Mediterranean Sea and stretched northwards to occupy present-day England. The finding in Japan, some 10,000 kilometres (6,000 miles) from Italy, may shed some light on how far east its influence reached, Tamura said.

"It will also lead to further studies on how they could have got all the way to Japan," she said.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.ninemsn.com.au ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs; japan; romanempire; romansinchina; romansinjapan
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-35 next last

In before the incoherent animus begins.


1 posted on 06/22/2012 3:03:34 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Roman guy sold them to turkish guy for a nickel. He sold them to Indian guy for a dime. He sold them to China guy for a buck. China guy sold them to Japan guy for $100.

What is the big deal. Probably took them ten years to get there.


2 posted on 06/22/2012 3:06:30 PM PDT by Vermont Lt (I just hate our government. All of them. Republican and Democrat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Vermont Lt
I think you just about summed it up.
3 posted on 06/22/2012 3:10:07 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Vermont Lt

And Japanese guy gave them to Kevin Bacon.

Tip your waitress, try the veal, I will be here all week.


4 posted on 06/22/2012 3:10:10 PM PDT by donmeaker (Blunderbuss: A short weapon, ... now superceded in civilized countries by more advanced weaponry.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

My wife used to work in Nakaoka when we lived in Arashiyama. It must have cost a lot of money back then as metallurgy and glassworking was just being taught to the Japanese by Korea and China.


5 posted on 06/22/2012 3:11:15 PM PDT by struggle (http://killthegovernment.wordpress.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Vermont Lt
Ancient European Remains Discovered In Qinghai (China)
(1900 years old)
6 posted on 06/22/2012 3:12:46 PM PDT by blam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Those Romans walked all over the place.


7 posted on 06/22/2012 3:16:27 PM PDT by mountainlion (I am voting for Sarah after getting screwed again by the DC Thugs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...

 GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach
To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.


8 posted on 06/22/2012 3:18:28 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Vermont Lt

....and the Casio watch, although missing its wristband, was still ticking in Roman numerals.


9 posted on 06/22/2012 3:21:19 PM PDT by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Vermont Lt; hinckley buzzard; donmeaker; struggle; blam; mountainlion

There was direct maritime trade between the Roman Empire and China’s Han dynasty as early as the reign of Marcus Aurelius. The Han court sent an ambassador by sea (aboard a Chinese vessel, probably a small fleet of ‘em) and arrived in the Persian Gulf, alas, too late to make direct contact (the pederast Hadrian had abandoned Trajan’s province of Mesopotamia), so they worked out some trade deals with the locals and went home. Roman trade by sea was on an enormous scale, particularly with India.


10 posted on 06/22/2012 3:24:45 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Vermont Lt

Ya think these archeologists never heard or read of the Silk Road?

Alexander the Great made it all the way to Afghanistan & India much earlier. So while there may have been no direct contact with China or Japan, the trade goods certainly made it through.


11 posted on 06/22/2012 3:28:45 PM PDT by Tallguy (It's all 'Fun and Games' until somebody loses an eye!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: hinckley buzzard
More likely Roman bought girl. Put jewelry on her. Later, Roman sold girl for enough to make a downpayment on a new team of oxen.

She was put on a boat to Syria, then sold to someone else, with jewelry, and next thing you know she was ON THE SILK ROAD where both jewelry and girls were regularly trafficked.

Amazingly she made it to Japan.

Why I suggest that the jewelry were traded with a girl is it made her more valuable AND kept the jewelry from being melted down. It's value as body adornment became obvious. Think of her as a "sex sells" sort of advertising.

12 posted on 06/22/2012 3:32:24 PM PDT by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

Romans in China?
Archaeology | Volume 52 Number 3, May/June 1999 | Erling Hoh
Posted on 07/18/2004 8:43:09 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1173944/posts

Roman Legion Founded Chinese City
Ansa | 7-25-2005
Posted on 07/31/2005 3:31:23 PM EDT by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1454296/posts

Romans May Have Learned From Chinese Great Wall: Archaeologists
People’s Daily Online/Xinhua | 12-20-2005
Posted on 12/20/2005 12:59:10 PM EST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1544089/posts

Anthropologists looking for Roman legion in China
Newstrack India | Sunday, November 21, 2010 | ANI
Posted on 11/22/2010 4:06:21 AM PST by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2631156/posts

A Roman Legion Lost in China? — Parts 1 & 2
Archnews UK | January/February 2011 | Paddy Lambert
Posted on 02/21/2011 4:33:46 AM PST by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2677196/posts

Multiplication Table From 1,800 Years Ago Discovered In Hunan
Peoples Daily | 3-9-2004
Posted on 03/09/2004 7:04:42 PM EST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1094206/posts

Bricks With Molded Designs Unearthed In Chongqing (Caucasians in Ancient China)
Xinhuanet.com/China View | 1-12-2004
Posted on 01/12/2004 12:28:45 PM EST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1056341/posts

Nestorian Tablet in China
Internet History Sourcebooks Project, Fordham University | July1998 | ed Paul Halsall
Posted on 07/21/2004 11:04:48 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1175726/posts

Ancient Engraved Chessboards Found On Great Wall
People’s Daily - Xinhua | 6-5-2006
Posted on 06/05/2006 7:00:02 PM EDT by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1643914/posts

Tamil Trade
INTAMM | 1997 | Xavier S. Thani Nayagam
Posted on 09/11/2004 11:07:01 PM EDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1213591/posts


13 posted on 06/22/2012 3:36:36 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: blam

Thanks blam. climate etc
14 posted on 06/22/2012 3:36:36 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

“It found that the light yellow beads were made with natron, a chemical used to melt glass “

Sounds fun. Where can I get some?


15 posted on 06/22/2012 3:37:33 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lame and ill-informed post)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: struggle
This is 5th century (400s). By the middle of 6th century much of Japan had been overrun and conquered by Asiatic raiders from what appears to have been Yakutia.

These people are known to have been Turkish speakers and were technologically equal to the Han Chinese.

Remember 535 there was a climate anomaly that destroyed Northern and Western European civilization as well as Northern China's civilization. It was bad enough it shut down the Silk Road until the days of Ghengis Khan ~ who reopened it and has been criticized ever since.

This jewelry gives a look at international trade before that climate anomaly.

16 posted on 06/22/2012 3:37:59 PM PDT by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv
Ancient Romans In Texas?
17 posted on 06/22/2012 3:43:41 PM PDT by blam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv
Ancient Romans In Texas?
18 posted on 06/22/2012 3:43:53 PM PDT by blam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

The Apostle Thomas (of Doubting fame) went all the way to India where he was executed.

I remember reading (perhaps here) about an ancient Chinese Temple that was found to have been built upon the remains of a Christian Church. A creche was found hidden away in an attic.


19 posted on 06/22/2012 3:48:42 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: UCANSEE2

Make your own. 83% slaked soda ash, 17% baking soda.


20 posted on 06/22/2012 3:55:51 PM PDT by null and void (Day 1249 of our ObamaVacation from reality - Obama is not a Big Brother [he's a Big Sissy...])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-35 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson