Inlaid gold patterns found on 1,100-year-old Japanese spear from sacred island stun experts

Much more than a weapon, the sword demonstrates the Yamato state’s “extraordinary” dedication to performing spiritual rites on the sacred Japanese island of Okinoshima.

“Its complexity reflects both technical mastery and religious reverence.”

Rare sword discovered in Japan

Archaeologists discovered the unassuming gold sheath under a boulder in 1954, but it wasn’t until recently that they decided to examine it more closely.

Located in the Genkai Sea, Okinoshima Island, a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Japanese long regarded it as sacred ground. Dedicated to spiritual practice, the early Japanese state used it for marine rituals. A holy order in Japan still maintains it.

As the island left behind an impressive number of artifacts —80,000—Japanese researchers have only recently begun cracking this treasure trove open for deeper analysis.

According to Arkeonews, they performed X-rays using CT and X-ray fluorescence technology on 4,200 metal artifacts. Once they penetrated the gold sheath, they were not expecting to find one of the finest blades from the era, made of iron and “unparalleled in beauty. ”  

A sword made for the Gods

In a press release, researchers described the blade as “completely inlaid” with unique motifs such as tortoise shells, phoenix, and arabesque patterns. Archaeology News notes the presence of flowers and feathers. “There is no other example in Japan or abroad,” the press release stated.  

Archaeology News continued that the maker of the sword employed the kinzōgan technique to craft the ornate spear. It involved carving designs into the metal and embedding these recesses with gold or other metals.

Though still under investigation, the craftsmanship shown on the blade showed archaeologists that the spear was imbued with royal or religious significance, thereby offering a rare glimpse into the rituals of the Yamato on an island that holds a special place in Japanese history.

Researchers noted that the spear had “little practical use.” It wasn’t wielded as a weapon. Rather, it was crafted and used in, mostly likely, a maritime ritual at the “spiritual epicenter of early Japanese statehood,” Archeonews described. It would have been an offering, or at least used in a ritual, as the inclusion of phoenixes in the design even represents a divine ask.

As Tadashi Nishtani told Archeonews, professor emeritus of archaeology at Kyushu University, the blade confirmed the “scale and sophistication of state-level ritualism during Kofun period, centered on Okinoshima’s sanctity.”

The spear represents a meeting of politics, spirituality, and artistry.