Seven-Foot Sword Unearthed From 1,600-Year-Old Burial Mound in Japan

Japanese archaeologists have uncovered a 7.5-foot-long iron sword and a bronze mirror from an ancient burial mound near the city of Nara. The weapon, known as a dako sword, is so large that it was likely never used for self-defense, serving instead as a means of protection against evil after death. Researchers found both artifacts while excavating a 1,600-year-old site called Tomio Maruyama in November. The city of Nara’s education board and Nara prefecture’s archaeological institute announced the discoveries on January 25.