Ancient Roman coins unearthed from castle ruins in Okinawa

[GennGreymane]

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/201.../#.V-q1vfkrLIU

Coins issued in ancient Rome have been excavated from the ruins of a castle in Okinawa Prefecture, the local board of education said, the first time such artifacts have been discovered in Japan.

The board of education in the city of Uruma said the four copper coins, believed to date back to the Roman Empire in the third to fourth centuries, were discovered in the ruins of Katsuren Castle, which existed from the 12th to 15th centuries.

Okinawa’s trade with China and Southeast Asia was thriving at the time and the finding is “precious historical material suggesting a link between Okinawa and the Western world,” the board of education said.

Each coin measures 1.6 to 2 cm in diameter. The designs and patterns on both sides are unclear due to abrasion.

Based on X-ray analysis, however, the board said the coins appear to bear an image of Constantine I and a soldier holding a spear. Other relics unearthed from the site include a coin from the 17th century Ottoman Empire, as well as five other round metallic items that also appear to be coins.

The ruins of Katsuren Castle were registered in 2000 on the World Heritage list as part of the Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, a group of ancient monuments and castle ruins in the island prefecture.

The coins will be displayed at Uruma City Yonagusuku Historical Museum in central Okinawa until Nov. 25.

[ParanoiD84]

Nice think they have found stuff there before, could have traded with them i dont think there is many records of roman/japanese (not sure what they where called back then) relations.

[GennGreymane]

Nice think they have found stuff there before, could have traded with them i dont think there is many records of roman/japanese (not sure what they where called back then) relations.

Could have traveled as oddities over the years. When Rome fell, further off areas that may have had access to trade still had the money. Maybe they used it or gave it away as knick knacks. Travel was slower then so maybe for a few dozen years... people were still trading as if Rome was all well and good in the far off reaches.

They could have come much later too. For example some viking burial grounds have Buddhist prayer beads, and menorahs. I think a katana was found too. There are also similar islands found in the Amercias (specifically Caribbean) in old pirate towns... not buried, but as knick knacks found in old catches in older areas.

Its just interesting to see how items travel around. Tells ya people always liked souvenirs lol.

[jimboa24]

I think there's a lot of shit that may have happened that's simply been lost in the sands of time. Ditto with scientific discoveries, like Greek fire or the Baghdad "batteries". So who knows? Maybe Rome had a trade route with the East that we don't know about?

[GennGreymane]

I think there's a lot of shit that may have happened that's simply been lost in the sands of time. Ditto with scientific discoveries, like Greek fire or the Baghdad batteries. So who knows? Maybe Rome had a trade route with the East that we don't know about?

Well they did potentially. Spaghetti pasta for example has potential roots in another place. (bad example as I dont know when it was invented)

Also Its possible that even if Rome never had direct routes with Japan... the indirect routes of persia to the greater Asia area would have brought some of their items.

[Independent voter]

Romans were getting silk via the Silk Road. Palmyra was the Western end of the silk road, it was famous as one of the last places of the Roman empire.

I don't see why Roman coins in Japan is so far fetched.

Palmyra is the place ISIS famously destroyed, at least all the ancient buildings and stuff.

[Deleted]

Romans were conducting trade with Ancient China. Generally Europe traded with India / China via the so-called "Silk Road". That was until the Islam unified the people of Middle East. The Crusades were about this. To cut through the road to riches of Far East.

[Sunseeker]

Most likely they were historical curios that made it to the Japanese, considering that the castle in question existed over a thousand years after the minting of the coins.

[Kalis]

I am not impressed that some Japanese bloke had a few Roman coins.

I have a TV that is made in Japan, yet I don't make a thread about it.

[Ravenblade]

It's much more simple. The coins were still used - even if only as luxurious trade goods - after the Roman Empire fell. The Romans and later the Byzantines as well had trade routes going as far as China. China again had trade relations with Japanese clans at that time.