Beizanji Sutra Mounds
The Beizanji Sutra Mounds (米山寺経塚群, Beizanji kyōzuka-gun) is a Kamakura period archaeological site located in what is now part of the city of Sukagawa, Fukushima Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1937.[1]
米山寺経塚群 | |
Beizanji Sutra Mounds Beizanji Sutra Mounds (Japan) | |
Location | Sukagawa, Fukushima, Japan |
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Region | Tohoku region |
Coordinates | 37°18′01″N 140°21′47″E |
History | |
Periods | Kamakura period |
Site notes | |
Ownership | National Historic Site |
Public access | Yes |
Overview
The Beizanji Sutra Mounds are located within the grounds of the Hie Jinja, a Shinto shrine located in the Nishikawa neighborhood of Sukagawa. During renovation work on the shrine, mounds located to its rear were flattened, and pottery containers and bronze Buddhist statues were discovered. The mounds were discovered to have been sutra mounds, which, from inscriptions on the artifacts, were made the Shōan era (1299 -1302) for a temple called Beizan-ji, which once occupied this site. A total of ten mounds existed; however only Mound No.3 has been retained in almost its original shape.
References
- "米山寺経塚群" [Beizanji kyōzuka-gun] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs.
External links
- Sukagawa city home page (in Japanese)