The Discovery of the Gold Seal in 1784 and the Waves of Historiography Ever Since
2011 ◽
Vol 2
(1)
◽
pp. 15-32
Abstract According to the Hou Han shu, in 57 B.C.E. an emissary from the land we now call Japan arrived at the court of the Later Han dynasty in Luoyang. Although we don’t know his name or who his sovereign was, he was awarded a seal and ribbon. The seal promptly disappeared from history for the next 1,727 years. It was unexpectedly discovered in an irrigation ditch being repaired by a farmer in Kyushu. For the next 233 years until now, every detail about this golden seal has been the topic of extensive debate with over 350 books and articles devoted to the topic. This essay discusses that lengthy debate and tries to understand it on its own terms.
2020 ◽
2020 ◽
2020 ◽
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2012 ◽
Vol 3
(8)
◽
pp. 1-2
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