Lots and lots of old stuff.

Yesterday, my parents and I traveled to a place called Yoshinogari, north of Nagasaki. The area is a huge archaeological sight that was discovered in the 1920's. The sight dates from the Yayoi Era (300 BC - 300 ACE) and the Japanese government has recreated the city as they think it was at the time. There were pit-dwellings, storehouses on stilts, temples, shrines, and military barracks. In addition to the recreations, there was lots and lots of old stuff. Archaeologists excavated the sight and found metal tools, foodstuffs, clothes, wooden utensils, and burial urns - with bodies inside, of course - most of which were on display. I was seriously impressed by the seeming organization of the society at the time. Growing up in the US, I never learned about Japanese history, so it was all new to me and I was fascinated. What were my ancestors doing 2000 years ago? Probably shivering under a sheepskin and foraging for roots in the British isles. Because that's what people did back then, right? Okay, maybe my European history isn't what it should be either . . .