In Japan, during the excavations of the Tomio Maruyama mound near the city of Nara, archaeologists found two valuable artifacts of the 4th century - a huge sword and a bronze mirror. The mound in which the finds were found is considered one of the largest burials of this type - its diameter is 109 m.
The sword, 2.37 m long and 6 cm wide, is much larger than the previous record holder sword from the 5th century mound in Hiroshima. It is made of iron and has a serpentine shape: during forging, the workpiece was bent in six places. Just over 80 serpentine Japanese swords are known. Small particles indicate that the weapon was wrapped in cloth before being placed in the mound. In battle, it would be useless, the artifact performed a magical function, protecting the deceased from evil spirits. As his size increased, his strength increased.
The mirror is another protector in the other world. It is made in the shape of a shield, its length is 64 cm, width is 31 cm. Patterns are engraved on the reverse side, and there is a handle in the center.
The Tomio Maruyamai Mound has been excavated since 2018. Unfortunately, many artefacts were lost after the burial was looted during the Meiji era (1868-1912). The upper part, where the artifacts were located, suffered the most.
