Supporting the Capital Manufacturing and Transport That Supported the Capital Part 1

A huge capital such as Heijo-kyo would have required a vast number of resources on a daily basis. How were these obtained?

Production in the Capital
Manufacturing Goods in Heijo-kyo

Goods were not just consumed at the Heijo-kyo capital, they were produced as well. In addition to workshops attached to the palace, temples, and aristocrats’ estates, a large cluster of a diverse range of workshops was also found. It appears as though there was also a mint inside the capital.

○ Please Look at the Floor Surface

The bluish green section indicates the remains of individual workshops and groups of workshops discovered in archaeological digs. This suggests how craftsmanship was advanced in various locations and formats throughout the capital. The glass case near the floor map contains a display of artifacts unearthed from these workshop remains.

Acquisition in the Capital
Supply of Goods from Other Regions

There was a constant flow of goods into the Heijo-kyo imperial capital in the form of taxes and tributes from around the country, as well as the capital’s portion of rice and fabrics. Studies of wooden tablets used as consignment invoices show how produce arrived here from the various producing regions nationwide.

○ Note the Sue Ware and Salt-Making Earthenware

1. Sue ware with the same characteristics of pieces unearthed at the site of kilns in other rural areas engraved with the names of the production districts; 2. salt-making earthenware; 3. sue ware pots coated with lacquer. It is believed that these and other findings were actually collected in the palace and capital from rural production areas, with the exhibits indicating the methods likely used to transport such creations from those districts and other related findings.