Archaeologists in Japan's Nara Prefecture have discovered an expansive ritual plaza dating to the late Yayoi period. The site, which predates the rise of the Yamato state, features a series of circular wooden structures and a central paved area. Most remarkably, the waterlogged soil preserved hundreds of wooden divination tablets (mokkan), some of which bear primitive incised marks used by shamans to predict agricultural cycles and political outcomes.
The find provides the first direct evidence of the transition from early tribal rituals to the more organized state-level Shinto practices. The ritual plaza is surrounded by a deep defensive moat, suggesting that religious and political authority were closely linked to the protection of the community. Botanical analysis of the site also revealed remains of charred rice and medicinal herbs, which were likely used as offerings during communal feasts and purification rites.