The Yayoi period, which spanned from around 300 B.C. to 250 A.D., ushered in a new chapter in Japanese history. With the advent of metal-edged tools, hunter-gatherer culture gave way to a more settled, agricultural society, often under the rule of local leaders. One of the largest archaeological sites from this period is the Yoshinogari ruins, the remains of an ancient settlement that covered nearly 40 hectares. It was constructed within a 2.5-kilometer-long (1.5-miles) moat, bolstered by earthwork fortifications and inner moats. Inside, centuries-old relics of pit dwellings, raised granaries,…
