NARA IMPERIAL PALACE SITE EXCAVATON REPORT XII
SURVEYS AT THE LOCATION OF THE IMPERIAL STABLE BUREAU

CONTENTS

Page

Chapter I Introduction                                   1

1. Aims of excavation                                1

2. Progress of recent excavations                            2

3. Preservation and maintenance of the site                         5

4. Publication of the report                        6

Chapter II Outline of Excavation                                 7

1. Excavation areas                      7

2. Order of excavation                 9

A. Excavation No. 47                             9

B. Excavation No. 50                             9

C. Excavation No. 51                             10

D. Excavation No. 52                             11

E. Excavation No. 59                12

F. Excavation No. 63                13

G. Excavation No. 71                             14

H. Excavation No. 127                            14

I. Excavations of the western first avenue in the Nara capital grid plan of streets                    14

3. Excavation diary                      15

A. Excavation No. 47                             15

B. Excavation No. 50                              16

C. Excavation No. 51                              17

D. Excavation No. 52                             18

E. Excavation No. 59 (north)                 19

F. Excavation No. 59 (south)                 21

G. Excavation No. 63                             21

H. Excavation No. 71                             23

I. Excavation No. 127                            24

Chapter III The Site                        25

1. Constitution of the site                          25

A. Topography prior to the excavation                25

B. Features dating to the period prior to the Palace construction                 26

C. Ancient topography                           28

2. Features                    29

A. Features of Phase I (period of Palace const ruction)                   30

B. Features of Phase II (early Nara period)                       31

C. Features of Phase III (middle Nara period)                    35

D. Features of Phase IV (late Nara period)                        40

E. Features of Phase V (earliest Heian period)                   47

F. Features after the Palace's abandonement and other indifinable ones                   50

G. West boundary wall of the Palace and the western first avenue in the Nara capital             61

3. Relative chronology of the features                     62

Chapter IV Artifacts                        66

1. Wooden tablets                       66

A. from posthole for fence SA5950                      66

B. from ditch SD5960                             66

C. from ditch SD6155                             67

D. from ditch SD6477                             67

E. from ditch SD6499                             67

2. Roof tiles and bricks                 69

A. Classification of eaves-tiles                70

B. Rounded eaves-tiles                          70

C. Flat eaves-tiles                                   79

D. Special rooftiles and bricks                86

E. Rounded and flat roof tiles and those with written character impression 87

F. Some arguements                89

3. Pottery                       93

A. Pottery prior to the Palace construction                        96

B. Pottery of Nara period                        96

C. Pottery after the Palace's abandonment                       105

D. Glazed pottery                     110

E. from disposal pit SK1623(excavation No. 25)                112

4. Wooden objects                      119

A. Nara period                          119

B. after Nara period                 122

C. Building materials                123

5. Metal and stone objects                        126

6. Coins                          127

Chapter V Articles                           129

1. Changing configurations at the location of the Imperial Stable Bureau                      129

A. Phase I features                   129

B. Phase II features                 130

C. Phase III features                133

D. Phase IV features               136

E. Phase V features                  138

2. The nature of the location of the Imperial Stable Bureau seen from the written resources                    140

A. History and function                           140

B. Imperial Stable Bureau in the Nara Palace                    144

3. Consideration of the Heian period pottery unearthed from the area of the ancient Nara capital                         147

A. Pottery types from ditch SD650B                     147

B. Pottery types following those from SD650B                   148

C. Pottery types from the floor of the western monk quarters, Yakushi-ji Temple       149

D. Pottery types posterior to the western monk quarters                151

E. Some arguements                152

4. Dendrochronological study on the pillars used in the location of the Imperial Stable Bureau                 153

A. Samples and method                         153

B. Resuls and some considerations                      154

5. Conclusions                157

SUPPLEMENT: Construction of the Nara Palace Site Museum and the storage                  158

1. Selection of the construction place                     158

2. Resisting pressure investigation                           158

3. Plan and execution                                161

4. Making of the site model                       162

SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES                             163

ENGLISH SUMMARY                                      177

ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT

Fig.                      Page

1. Areal divisions of the excavated area                      8

2. Areal divisions of excavation No. 47 and major features                    15

3. Areal divisions of excavation No. 50 and major features                    16

4. Areal divisions of excavation No. 51 and major features                    17

5. Areal divisions of excavation No. 52 and major features                    19

6. Areal divisions of excavation No. 59(north) and major features                      20

7. Areal divisions of excavation No. 59(south) and major features                      21

8. Areal divisions of excavation No. 63 and major features                    22

9. Areal divisions of excavation No. 71 and major features                    23

10. Areal divisions of excavation No. 127 and major features                24

11. Stratigraphic profile of the earthen platform for the resting place for a portabl shrine 25

12. Ancient topography and features prior to the Palace construction                 28

13. Stratigraphic imposition of gravel pavement SX7000 and ditch SD6980                      30

14. Stratigraphic imposition of pit SK6350 and posthole for fence SA3680                        31

15. Stratigraphic imposition of ditch SD5960 and pit SK6098                 32

ENGLISH SUMMARY

1

　The Nara National Cultural Properties Research Institute has been carrying out a continuous series of archaeological investigation at the site of the Nara Imperial Palace since 1959. Results of these investigations have been published in Nara Palace Site Excavation Report, Nos. I~XI. The present report is the following one, No. XII, containing the results of nine excavations (excavation Nos. 47, 50, 52, 59 north-south, 63, 71, and 127) carried out between 1967 and 1980.

　The investigation area dealt with in this report is the westernmost locus of the palace grounds along the west enclosure wall between central gate (Saeki-mon　佐伯門)  and north gate (Kusakabe-mon　藻壁門)  measuring 280 meters north to south and 110 meters east to west. Since there is no paddy placename or land division in this area, it was previously considered to be the Western Palace (Saigu　西宮) based on Tadashi Sekino's expectation. However, as the excavations of this area progressed, it became apparent that the ground plans of architectural structures were not equivalent to Saigu but one of the government bureaus.

　The results of excavations are first described dividing into two categories; features and artifacts. By means of using those results it is going to be made clear that this area is the site of the Imperial Stable Bureaus (Meryo　馬寮).

2

　Topographically this area lies on the alluvial apron of the Nara basin lowlands and is almost flat (70. 5 m msl at the north-western corner and 69. 5 m msl at the south-eastern corner). During Yayoi and Kofun periods peoples seem to have inhabited in this area because 1 dwelling, 2 ditches and 6 pits of early Yayoi period and 5 ditches and 6 pits of Kofun period were uncovered, most of which were concentrated in the soutern portion of the area. The ditches of both periods can be considered to have flowed from north-west to south-east, that means the topography prior to the Palace construction was almost same as present.

　The features uncovered can be assigned to five phases between the beginning of the Nara period and the early Heian period. They represent the construction and layout of a palace compound with special characteristics not changing throughout whole phases. And after the palace's abandonment around 835, this area was begun to be continuously used for inhabitation until about the 14th century (Phase VI), therefore many features of different phases are complicatedly overlapped.

　Phase I (beginning of the Nara period)

　The construction of the Palace started; the ground was prepared and allotted and some provisional structures such as fence SA3680 were erected, but no structures for administrative use had not been completed.

Phase II (early Nara period)

　This is the period in which the layout of the Imperial Stable Bureau was first settled. At the center of the northern sector was built a main hall SB6450 which was accompanied by side hall SB6425 and front building SB6280. These composed the administrative headuaqrter. To the south on both sides, there situated stables SB6170･5955･5956 and storage SB6330. All these structures were arranged accordingly to the 75 shaku grid plan. The central part of the southern sector formed a kind of courtyard without any architectural structures whatsoever. This can be supposed to be a riding ground. To the west of the headquarters there found a large rectangular pit SK6350 which fits to the washing pond for horses.

Phase III (middle Nara period)

　In this phase most of the structures were rebuilt according to the same idea of layout as that of the Phase II. However, the composition of the structures was different somehow, a well as the east boundary of the compound was first encompassed by wooden fence SA5950. In all eleven architectural structures were regularly laid out on a grid plan of 40 shaku basic unites; these structures included three administrative buildings on north to south axes lined up in a row in the center of the northern sector, stables SB6172･5951･6120, storage SB6140 and smithy building SB6360 on either side.

Phase IV (late Nara period)

　Basic layout followed the previous one, but composition was drastically changed. The administrative office buildings situated in the northern one third of this area became more intensive with doublefold composition; three long buildings SB6175･6430･6400 being placed to the north, east and west formed a outlineal division, while wooden fences surrounded inner quarter. For the boundary of east and north there constructed compound wall SA5950B and SA6475.

Phase V (early Heian period)

　The extent of the area enclosed by compound wall same as previous ones, but by the ditch SD5961 running west to east near the center the area divided into two sectors, north and south. In the northern half there existed several buildings in the same manner as those of phases I~IV; the main building SB6386 at northern center and two long buildings on each side (SB6173･6460･6401), and the front of main building was left to be a open space. On the contrary the southern half seems to have had different characteristics. There were only two buildings SB6130･6141 at the northeast corner and remaining part was vacant.

3

　Artifacts unearthed are relatively scarce.

　Wooden tablets are only 18 and most of them seem to concern with the nature of the neighboring ministry or bureau to the east of the area.

　There were unearthed 873 pieces of eaves-tiles. There consist of 54 types and 110 sub-types. In comparison with the other excavated areas in the Palace, it can be pointed out that the number, of types and sub-types are so many considering about the total amount that the specific palings of rounded and flat eaves-tiles can not be extracted.

　The earthenware was discovered evenly throughout the excavated area in great number. Those include various kind of pottery dating from Yayoi period down to the 14th century.

　Wooden objests, metal objects and coins are very scarce.

4

　After recording above factual information, the report attempts some interpretations. At first changing configurations at the location of the Imperial Stable Bureau and the absolute chronology are examined. Secondly the nature of the location is studied in accordance with the written resources. Thirdly the Heian period pottery types are considered by using the specimens unearthed from the ancient Nara capital. Fourthly the pillars used in the location of the Imperial Stable Bureau are studied by dendrochronological method. And lastly conclusive phrases come.

　Among the artifacts, the pottery sherds with brush writing play a very important role in reconstructing the use of this area. There are two kinds of writings; one is "shame　主馬" and the other is "naikyu　内厩". In case of shume it indicates two possibilities, Shume-ryo　主馬寮 and Shume-sho　主馬署. Shume-ryo appeared in historical records between the 1st year of Ten'no (天応, 781A. D.) and the 1st year of Daido (大同, 806A. D.). Since the pottery type on which brush writings are is belonged to the end of the Nara period, and the extent of location is too extensive for Shume-sho that is a branch of the Crown Prince's office, Shume-ryo is more probable than shume-sho.

　Naikyu means Naikyu-ryo　内厩寮 which had established in the 1st year of Ten'pyo-jingo (天平神護 765A. D.) and appeared in historical records down to the 1st year of Daido. This bureau was closely related to Meryo and Shume-ryo on account of their function. So it is clear that Shume-ryo situated in this area at the end of Nara period. And as Shume-ryo can be considered to have followed Meryo conforming to the regal cords having edited at latest in the late 7th century, it is natural to consider that before Shume-ryo's establishment Meryo also had been here.

　The location and size of this bureau is similar to those of the Meryo in the old map of the Heian Palace. And in the Fujiwara Palace site situates so-called "western government quarters" at the same location and it shows the same composition and layout of the architectural structures as both side of the area must be the stables, and storages were probablly for storing horse furnitures.

　By the reasons cited above, this report intended to conclude that the bureau discovered in this area is the site of Meryo and Shume-ryo of Nara period and early Heian period. But according to the regal cords, Meryo was divided into two, (left)-Sameryo and (wright)-Umeryo, to which this area merges we do not have sufficient bases yet.