大阪歴史博物館　Osaka Museum of History

During excavations of the Naniwa Palace site and the lower layer of the site, a mold for globular glass beads dating back to the 5th to 7th centuries was discovered. On the surface of the mold, there are holes approx. 5 mm in diameter, and glass components were detected in some of them. Several molds of a similar type have also been discovered on the Korean Peninsula, which indicates the possibility that the technique for producing globular glass beads was introduced to Naniwa from the Korean Peninsula.

The excavation in the valley on the southeastern side of Naniwa Palace led to the discovery of a significant quantity of Haji ware and Sue ware items dating back to the 6th to the 7th centuries. Many of the Haji ware items are bowls polished inside and decorated with patterns, while the Sue ware items include pots made to resemble metal ware, as well as bowls. The excavation also unearthed many flat-bottomed and footed tableware items, designed to be placed on a flat surface, which is a characteristic of artifacts from later ages discovered in excavations in the Fujiwara-kyo and Heijo-kyo sites.

In the northern part of the Uemachi Upland, a number of Korean earthenware items, such as Baekche and Silla earthenware, have been unearthed. The artifacts shown in the photo are Baekche earthenware items. They include jars and bottles dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries. The discovery of the Korean earthenware indicates that Naniwa was a diplomatic center visited by many Chinese and Korean immigrants, and supports the description of ancient literature that says Naniwa was home to diplomatic facilities.