Mitsudera, Archaeological excavation site in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.
Mitsudera is an archaeological excavation site in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, where multiple layers of ancient settlements have been uncovered one beneath another. The finds include pottery fragments, stone tools, Haniwa clay figures, and the remains of structures dating from different periods of Japanese prehistory.
The site was continuously occupied over a long stretch of Japanese prehistory, from early periods through to the Kofun era. It gained wider attention after volcanic ash from Mount Haruna sealed and preserved parts of the settlement, locking in evidence that would have otherwise disappeared.
Mitsudera served as a production center for Haniwa clay figures during the Kofun period, and fragments of these objects have been found across the site. These fired clay forms were placed around burial mounds and tell a great deal about how people in ancient Gunma honored their dead.
The site is located in rural Gunma Prefecture, so getting there by car is generally the most practical option as public transport connections can be limited. Wear sturdy shoes, as the ground is uneven and can become slippery after rain.
Beneath the ash layer left by Mount Haruna, ancient footprints were found preserved in the mud of former rice paddies. These prints were left by people walking across the fields just before or during the eruption, and they offer a rare direct trace of ordinary movement in ancient times.
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