Oldest iron saw in Japan identified

An iron object bent over on one side has been identified as an ancient saw. Dating to the late Yayoi period, the late 2nd century A.D., it is the oldest found in Japan, pushing back the introduction of saws to the Japanese archipelago a hundred years.

It measures 4.1 cm long and 2.1 cm wide at the widest point (1.6 x .8 inches), with 1.6 cm (.6 inches) of the tip folded back. If it were unfolded, it would be beak-shaped with a pointed tip. It appears to have suffered damage before it was discarded. Archaeologists estimate it was originally up to 15-20 cm long (6-8 inches) when intact.

the object was one of a wide variety artifacts recovered in excavations between 1996 and 2003 at the Hayashi-Fujishima archaeological site in Fukui. The excavations revealed large settlement from the late Yayoi period with a dedicate bead-making workshop. A large number of iron tools associated with the workshop were unearthed there. A total of 944 objects, metal and beads, were recovered from the workshop.

With the iron materials, already corroded after 2,000 years in alluvial soil, in danger of further deterioration, a program of conservation was launched in 2021. As part of the program, metal objects were X-rayed and CT scanned. The X-ray of the little iron piece with the bent end revealed a serrated pattern on one side, identifying it for the first time as a saw. Archaeologists believe it may have been used for sawing wood, but it could have also processed soft stone during the bead-making process.

Iron was not yet produced on the Japanese islands during the Yayoi period, and the advanced techniques necessary to manufacture a saw like this indicates it was made elsewhere, namely China, and imported to Japan.

“The artifact could be an important piece of evidence supporting the advancement of ironware culture along the Sea of Japan coast during the Yayoi period,” said Tomokatsu Uozu, the center’s deputy director.

In China, saws with similar shapes from the second to third centuries have also been unearthed.

Researchers said iron processing techniques from the Chinese mainland likely crossed over to northern Kyushu through the Korean Peninsula and reached Fukui Prefecture following a route along the Sea of Japan.

* This article was originally published here