November 6, 2015

Okinawa local newspapers reported that earthenware and stoneware artifacts had been excavated from the beach inside the premises of U.S. Camp Schwab at Henoko in Nago City where a contentious base will be constructed.

According to the papers, the artifacts were discovered last month when the Nago City Board of Education was conducting an excavation in the place where an anchor stone of the Ryukyu Dynasty (1429-1879) was unearthed in February.

The Okinawa Prefecture Board of Education will examine if those discovered artifacts deserve to be designated as cultural properties. Given that the anchor stone has been designated as a cultural asset, the city will apply to the prefecture for registration of the area as protected ruins.

Designating the ruins will make it possible for the local authorities to carry out test drilling and excavation research there based on the Cultural Assets Preservation Act, affecting the construction of a makeshift pier and roadwork necessary for the new base construction.

Past related articles:
> Okinawa’s Nago City starts research for buried cultural properties on US base [July 8, 2015]
> Cultural property found at construction site of new US base in Henoko [July 1, 2015]