Secrets of Edo Japan Unearthed: Over 1,500 Ancient Bodies Discovered Beneath Osaka Streets
Osaka City Cultural Properties AssociationExcavation surveys at Osaka’s Kita Ward began in 1991, with the graveyard’s discovery a result of a local redevelopment project.
“The remains excavated, including human bones, are currently in the process of being sorted and analyzed,” the statement read. “In addition to humans, animals are also buried in the cemetery, with more than four piglets in the northern part of the cemetery and two horses in the southern part.”
“A cat bone contained in a skeleton has also been found.”
Osaka City Cultural Properties AssociationMany of the dead were buried together without personal belongings. It’s believed they died during an epidemic or a natural disaster.
According to Hyperallergic, the uncovered Umeda Grave, or Umeda Tomb, is only one of seven historic Osaka cemeteries. Situated near West Japan Railway’s Osaka Station, finding the Umedahaka burial grounds here is like unearthing a Civil War cemetery beneath Times Square.
Formally announced by the Osaka City Cultural Properties Association, the find was made during recent stages of the Umekita redevelopment. As this commercial effort calls for four skyscrapers to be built by 2024 — it’s unlikely to resume until all remains are properly gathered and reburied elsewhere.
Osaka City Cultural Properties AssociationThe unearthed stone structure remains unidentified, but has also been dated to the Edo period.
According to Archaeology, the Umedahaka burial grounds are believed to have been used for well over 200 years by those who lived near the Osaka Castle. As for the remains themselves, none of the burials in the northern part of the site contained any personal belongings.
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