The glass bowl fragment found on Okinoshima island. This photo was taken at Munakata Taisha shrine in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, on March 1. (Mahito Kaai)
Posted on 05/28/2020 3:15:27 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
A fragment of a glass bowl unearthed on Okinoshima island, a UNESCO World Heritage site here, came from ancient Persia during the Sassanian dynasty (226-651), researchers announced March 1.
Munakata Taisha shrine teamed up with experts and used X-ray imaging to analyze the artifact as well as small pebble-shaped "kirikodama" ornaments made of glass. They date to the late fifth century to seventh century.
Okinoshima island, located off Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, is considered by the shrine to be so sacred that only males can visit and only if they engage in purification rituals before coming ashore. The island has yielded a treasure trove of artifacts from ceremonies held there between the late fourth and ninth centuries that are believed to have been carried out during the time of the ancient Yamato kingdom...
The results showed that the ashes of plants were mixed with molten glass, a characteristic of Sassanian Persia glassware.
But the pebbles remain something of a mystery, as no similar examples have been found in Japan or elsewhere. However, it was assumed the ornaments were produced by reprocessing Sassanian Persia glassware.
(Excerpt) Read more at asahi.com ...
The glass bowl fragment found on Okinoshima island. This photo was taken at Munakata Taisha shrine in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, on March 1. (Mahito Kaai)
The glass bowl fragment could have been moved by tides, pirates, travelers, traders or a combination of all the above.
“Okinoshima island, located off Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture,”
I was wondering where Okinshima island was. Now I know.
Looks mold formed.
Silk road trade goes back a long way into time.
Maybe it’s best we don’t know what the men only island was doing with tiny glass pebbles during their purification rituals.
“Okinoshima island, located off Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, is considered by the shrine to be so sacred that only males can visit...”
We could sure use some of those places. As far as Japan is concerned, much less needed as the women there are polite and don’t hate men.
“UNESCO World Heritage site” words you don’t want to see associated with anything. ANYTHING!
Okinoshima: This Japanese Island is Off-limits for Women
Okinoshima, a small remote Japanese island bans women from entering it. The island is considered a sacred ground and even men who enter have to go there naked, and cannot take anything out of the island, not even a leaf. The island is a part of Munakata city, Fukuoka.
That's 2863.9 miles, from Persia to China, slightly less the from west to east coasts of the mainland USA.
They probably used the single and double hump camels for their trade route.
It doesn't seem so far but the road had to get through some rather "hilly" country. :o)
It SHOULD be called the Silk Road Sea Lanes.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
