Several Roman coins from depicting Constantine I have been found in a Japanese castle that was in use from the 12th to the 15th century. I hope they can find some reasonable explanations as to how they got there.
The article says that the coins are from the 3d to 4th century AD but Constantine I didn't take the throne until 306 AD. The 3d century would be too early.
Roman coins discovered in ruins of Japanese castle
Published September 28, 2016 FoxNews.com
Archaeologists have been stunned by the discovery of Roman coins in the ruins of a Japanese castle.
The coins were excavated from the ruins of Katsuren Castle in Okinawa Prefecture, according to the Japan Times, noting that this is the country’s first discovery of its kind. Citing the Board of Education in the city of Uruma, the Japan Times reports that the four copper coins are believed to be from the third to fourth centuries.
The castle, which existed from the 12th to the 15th centuries, is part of a UNESCO world heritage site.
X-ray analysis of the coins has apparently revealed the image of Emperor Constantine I and a soldier carrying a spear. Each coin measures 0.6 inches to 0.8 inches in diameter, according to the report.
The Polo family was active in the middle east as far back as the 900's but they didn't leave any record of ever getting to Japan. However, they weren't the only traders of the period. I've never heard of Roman coins being used that late but gold is gold no matter whose face is on it.
More likely Marco Polo's ancestors. He came kind of late in the family.
The Polo family was active in the middle east as far back as the 900's but they didn't leave any record of ever getting to Japan. However, they weren't the only traders of the period. I've never heard of Roman coins being used that late but gold is gold no matter whose face is on it.
Marco Polo was on the road for 24 years. Chances are good he ran across a poker game, cat house, or saloon a few times...
Silk Road.
Pretty simple.
kd
LongBob,
That would be "Hookers for $400.00"
Article said ottoman coins found as well. Pretty simple to follow. Either the Silk Road as mentioned or Arab trade vessels. Hell those fellas went all the way to the Philippines.
there was world wide trade in ancient days. Things moved around. We don't give the old days enough credit.
mesicans, them little chits can crawl over, through, or under anything.
LongBob,
That would be "Hookers for $400.00"
Answer in the form of a question.
303 AD was in the Fourth Century AD. Just like 1903 was in the the Twentieth Century AD.
The Chinese had huge fleets that traded over most of that part of the world, all the way to Africa. They could have gotten Roman and Carthaginian coins anywhere in the Red Sea area.
European Swallows... claims Graham Chapman.
Or was that coconuts?
I've never heard of Roman coins being used that late but gold is gold no matter whose face is on it.
Copper coins. If they were gold, they wouldn't have had to use instrumentation to find the faces. Gold doesn't corrode. There were very few Gold Roman coins and not many more silver. Copper was the thing.
That's about 1,000 years to get from Rome to the Japanese castle.
there was world wide trade in ancient days. Things moved around. We don't give the old days enough credit.
Sam has the answer. Lots of items from all over the world have been found in odd places, including jade from Asia found in Native American campsites dating back to the 5th & 6th Centuries A.D.
Items of value, such as precious metals and gems have been used for trade since the beginning of time.
Ed
LongBob,
That would be "Hookers for $400.00"
Ding Ding Ding Ding...The Daily Double!!!
Neighbors trading with neighbors trading neighbors, same way Yellowstone obsidian can be found fashioned in many many different points from divers cultures that ranged from Alaska to southern South America, from Eastern Canada to Florida. Trade networks. It sure don't mean they all had to come to Yellowstone to get some.
There is evidence in New Mexico travelers from the Middle East came here as many as 3,000 years ago. There is aa eighty ton boulder with the Ten Commandments carved into it which some authorities date to King Solomon. If world travel was available to them certainly it was available 400 - 500 years after Jesus to Japan.
Check the back of Flave's Toyota for clues.
Same way similar coins found their way an indian burial mound in Arkasas: World wide trade routes. They existed. But at the time no one knew where they all went. One guy bought something and the coin was passed from hand to hand till it got there. It really is a small world, but back then it was alot bigger!
Had a compadre back in the early 80's who was quite the "pot hunter" and a bit of an ecentric. (Once he advertised in local paper for really ugly people To pose for him for portraits he wished to sketch). Anyway at the ending each of his artifact poaching sessions he would make an "offering" to the midden he was digging in. Usually a Chinese cash but sometimes Roman stuff. Some of it is rather reasonably priced.
About 1993 there was an article in the Austin American Stateman of a Roman coin found in a midden by an avocational archaeologist in Round Rock Tx. It was a spot well known To my old acquaintance. I dunno? Mebbe it had been there since time immemorial. Or was it??? Who knows? I will say the spot was well hunted.
Edit!!!!
4th century roman stuff in 14th century Japan would not be news to me. However, 14th century Japanese stuff found in situ associated with 4th century roman stuff? Now that would be newsworthy.
Had a compadre back in the early 80's who was quite the "pot hunter" and a bit of an ecentric. (Once he advertised in local paper for really ugly people To pose for him for portraits he wished to sketch). Anyway at the ending each of his artifact poaching sessions he would make an "offering" to the midden he was digging in. Usually a Chinese cash but sometimes Roman stuff. Some of it is rather reasonably priced.
About 1993 there was an article in the Austin American Stateman of a Roman coin found in a midden by an avocational archaeologist in Round Rock Tx. It was a spot well known To my old acquaintance. I dunno? Mebbe it had been there since time immemorial. Or was it??? Who knows? I will say the spot was well hunted.
Edit!!!!
4th century roman stuff in 14th century Japan would not be news to me. However, 14th century Japanese stuff found in situ associated with 4th century roman stuff? Now that would be newsworthy.
Years ago I met a guy who claimed his grandfather planted a skull and jaw in a sandpit as a joke on a friend who was an archaeologist or anthropologist or something like that back in his country. I asked him what country and he said it back in Piltdown, England
!
Thor Heyerdahl did some interesting studies starting in the 1940's, proving that even simple primitive boats could make long distance voyages.
Thor Heyerdahl, scientist
While working as an archaeology student on this site in the late 80's, we discovered drug paraphernalia (pot pipes) lost by the archaeologist who were here in the 60s.
Hell Gap Wyoming
303 AD was in the Fourth Century AD. Just like 1903 was in the the Twentieth Century AD.
That's what I said.
European Swallows... claims Graham Chapman.
Or was that coconuts?
"Oh, yeah, an african swallow, maybe, but not a european swallow, that's my point."
As to the coins, an interesting find but not so surprising for reasons already mentioned.
I just figured the Japs were undercutting the Roman chariot market with cheap imports that rusted out in 5 years....
Catholic priest drop them.
The Chinese had huge fleets that traded over most of that part of the world, all the way to Africa. They could have gotten Roman and Carthaginian coins anywhere in the Red Sea area.
And they may have left anchor stones off our west coast.
How did U.P. Copper end up in China during the bronze age?
About 210 BCE.
Over in Bercel Hungary, a friend of mine has a 900 year old 'castle'. On one side, is an ancient Japanese Acacia tree. No one has any idea of how it got there, since it's age predates the period in the 1800s when Japan was opened up for trade.
I found some
Pictures of the house,
We have been over to visit a few times. It's nice!
Sam,
That's a quaint little bungalow!
I leave all this archaeological work to young son. He's a registered professional archaeologist. And from what I've been associated with, the work is either back breaking or extremely freaking BORING!!!! Compounded with mountains of paperwork.
I'll stick to the drinking part.
No...the coins aren't that old.
Even Keith Richards isn't that old.
Reminds of that "Indian Head Penny" song by Guy Clark. Can't help wonder and think of the story behind the coin.
Christopher Columbus and Marco Polo got too much press.
Had a handful of old azz coins at a rendezvous many years ago. Like 16th and 17th century French stuff. One old cohort there spouts off as he eyeballed a sou, "just think,,,,, someone prolly bought their first piece of azz with this thing!"
The coins fell in the hole that the Fu kushima reactor meltdown made.
They undoubtedly rolled off a nightstand in Milan where some owner will soon find them missing, slap his forehead and say " ehhhya whadda da fuggg???"
I would think overland via the Silk Road trading routes to China, then traded between the Chinese and Japanese kingdoms.
The Pope saw some Ginsu knives on TV he couldn't resist.
Trading has been going on for millennia.
Article said ottoman coins found as well. Pretty simple to follow. Either the Silk Road as mentioned or Arab trade vessels. Hell those fellas went all the way to the Philippines.
Just a guess, but I would venture to speculate by sea.
4th century coins in a 15th century castle are interesting but don't strain credulity that much.
Now what would be neat is to find 22nd century coins in a 15th Century castle. That would really bode well for the future of time travel.
That would really bode well for the future of time travel.
And coins.
True that.
What would be really, really cool is to find some bitcoins...