User:Mishel Salazar/Tsuzura Ozaki Lakebed Site

The Tsuzura Ozaki Lakebed Site（葛籠尾崎湖底遺跡, Tsuzura Ozaki Kotei Iseki) is an underwater archeological site located in Lake Biwa, off the shore of Kohoku, Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, and the waters surrounding Cape Tsuzura Ozaki. Unlike many of the other underwater archeological sites around Lake Biwa, which are located close to shore, the Tsuzura Ozaki Lakebed Site is quite deep, lying at a depth of over 80 meters at its deepest point.

Features of the Site
Earthenware dating from the early Jōmon period to end of the Heian period has been unearthed at the site almost without interruption since its discovery in the 1920s. While is unclear what caused the submergence of the archeological site, various theories have been proposed including, settlements that were washed away due to rising water levels at the lake; earthenware that was purposely submerged as part of a religious ritual or ceremony; earthenware that was discarded by its owners; and settlements or cargo that sank to the bottom of the lake.

Artifacts found at the site are usually not buried in the sediment of the lake; rather, they lie exposed on the lakebed, with most of the them still intact. In total, about 140 artifacts have been recovered from the site. Interestingly, some of the earthenware which have been on the lakebed for a long time have become coated with a thick layer of iron compounds, known as 'lacustrine iron,' which are found in the lake water.

In addition to earthenware, iron ore of various sizes has been discovered at the site, showing evidence of intentional splitting and shaping. It is speculated that this ore might have fallen off ships while being transported, been deposited by currents, or be connected to a yet undiscovered iron manufacturing site.