Books on archaeology and the Samurai

[wilber6150]

Hi all, I've done several searches but haven't been sucessful on finding any books that deal with archeology and the Samurai..Does anyone know of any books published related to this perhaps by a smaller publishing company?

Thank you

 

[Naomasa298]

What do you mean by "archaeology and the samurai" exactly?

 

[wilber6150]

The Holy Grail for me would be a book on battlefield archeology related to the Samurai. Or alternatively any which describe excavations where arms and armor were found or findings of digs at castles..

 

[Rongo]

I wonder if there are many archeological sites? Japan being so densely populated, and with a recorded history going back hundreds of years, maybe a lot of the artifacts stayed "above ground"?

 

[okamido]

There is an immense mass grave of samurai that was found in 2010. It was filled with the losers from the battle of Kamakura at the Seven Entrances.

Battlefield dead, executed prisoners, piles of severed heads, mass suicides...you name it, they have it.

These are the only pics I could find right away, but I will attempt to screen cap some more tomorrow.

Here is a paper that you might find interesting:
http://www.stanford.edu/~lewisjas/Finished_Projects_files/Lewis%202008.pdf

 

[Naomasa298]

I wonder if there are many archeological sites? Japan being so densely populated, and with a recorded history going back hundreds of years, maybe a lot of the artifacts stayed "above ground"?

Some are, but many of the battlefields are still in quite rural areas (Kawanakajima, Sekigahara for example), and artifacts are still to be found.

I can't really help on books to do with archaeological digs, sorry - I tend to read about the stuff after it's come out of the ground.

I have recently been reading about excavations from the Heian period and when I visited Osaka castle, there was some information about the digs there. What a lot of people don't realise about the reconstructed Osaka castle is that it isn't the Toyotomi-era version, it's the later Tokugawa version.

 

[leakbrewergator]

Thomas Conlan has written a little about excavations at battle sites. Probably nothing as extensive as what you're looking for.

The book below has a good, albeit small, segment discussing excavations done at the site of the Battle of Nagashino.

https://www.amazon.com/Weapons-Fighting-Techniques-Samurai-1200-1877/dp/1906626073/

 

[okamido]

Here are the photos I promised from the archaeological site at the Battle of Kamakura. (sorry they aren't as crisp as I would like)
All in all, there were over 3,000 skeletons recovered, including 500 skulls from executed Hojo samurai. Sitting alone, seperated from all others were two skulls thought to be those of high ranking Hojo. One an elder, and the other much younger, thought to be an attendant or someone in 'training' to a higher position.

Mass graves:

Executions

skeletons of slain horses

arrow wound to a warrior's skull, thought to be that of a monk

 

[leakbrewergator]

Hey Oka, have you seen the accompanying comic to that Nat Geo special? It might be something that interests you.

http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-content/file/WarriorGraveyard_Samurai-cb1331654285.pdf

 

[davu]

i saw the show -- it was great -- really nice to see things from the asian continent for a change ----