The National Research Institute for Cultural Properties in Nara has announced a significant discovery.
The ruins of the ancient Japanese capital, Fujiwara-kyō, are located in the Takadonote and Daigote areas of Kashihara City. According to the historical chronicle Nihon Seki, Fujiwara-kyō served as the capital from 694 to 710 AD, before it was moved to Nara. It’s worth noting that Fujiwara-kyō was the first capital of Japan built in accordance with Chinese models.
What We Know About the Discovery
Archaeologists uncovered a wooden strip that contains part of the oldest multiplication table in Japan at the site where the Emon-fu guard office was located in the central government of Fujiwara-kyō.
The strip, measuring 16.2 cm by 1.2 cm, has been dated to the late 7th to early 8th century AD, according to Arkeonews.
It is believed that during this period, the table was used in government offices and other places where calculations were necessary. In the initial stages of research, scientists were only able to read a portion of the numbers.
When viewed under infrared light, the following inscriptions can be seen on the wooden tablet:
9 x 9 = 81
4 x 9 = 36
6 x 8 = 48
All these numbers, according to researchers, were written using kanji, the Chinese characters that are part of the Japanese writing system.
The table begins with multiplication by nine. The first five equations are recorded horizontally in a single line. Since the equations are not arranged in the clear sequence typically required for a multiplication table, researchers initially suggested that the artifact might have been someone’s calculation board.
“If the multiplication table were complete, the length of the wooden strip with all the recorded equations would be 33 centimeters,” noted Kuniya Kuwata, the chief researcher at the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties in Nara.
“At first, I thought that ancient Japanese multiplication tables only had 2-3 equations per row, so I was genuinely surprised to find that this one had many,” added Mr. Kuwata.
While previously discovered tables in Japan consisted of two to three rows, this five-row example likely corresponds to models from the Chinese Qin and Han dynasties.
The research confirmed that the style of writing used in the multiplication table dates back to the late 7th century. However, scientists do not rule out the possibility that the table could have been created during the Kofun period (translated as “old burial mound”), which lasted from the mid-3rd to the 7th century. They also suggest that it may have been used for designing burial mounds, a practice that was prominent during this period of Japanese history. Monumental mounds were intended for the burial of emperors and noble figures.
According to another theory, the table could have been used by individuals responsible for security or performing other administrative duties, likely for counting working days and taxes for officials.
The results of the research were published in the annual bulletin of the National Research Institute of Nara.