Excavated Ceramics Bring us Up to the 9th-and-10th-Century Sino-Japanese Trading

Imported Tang goods used to include ceramics, textiles, incense, medicine, colors, books, writing utensils and etc. We can, however, hardy find historical records which show us how those imported goods were actually exchanged in the 9th and 10th centuries. How were they exchanged with Tang traders at Hakata-tsu Port? How were they eventually carried to the Henan-Kyo City? We can only rely on excavated ceramics to answer those questions. Let me list up the excavated Yue Province ceramics of celadon porcelain along the Seto Inland Sea. They will be shown in the order of the number of Yue Province ceramics of celadon porcelain excavated, the name of the excavations, and the locations of the excavations. Yue Province ceramics of celadon porcelain may have been highly precious luxuries. Only a few of them have been found in each of just about 45% excavations in Japan. 6 Yue Province ceramics of celadon porcelain were found in Atago Excavations in Buzen Province (Ogura-kita Ward, Kita-kyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture). 2 were found in Tokuriki Excavations in Buzen (Ogura-minami Ward, Kita-kyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture). 1 was found in Nagano A Excavations in Buzen (Ogura-minami Ward, Kita-kyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture). 52 pieces were found in Terada Excavations in Buzen (Ogura-minami Ward, Kita-kyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture). 22 ceramics Yue Province ceramics of celadon porcelain were found in Saiwaigi Excavations in Buzen ( Miyako Town, Miyako County, Fukuoka Prefecture). 5 were found in Akine Excavations in Nagato Province (Akine Town, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture). 1 was found in Kokubunji Excavations in Nagato (Chofu Town, Shimonoseki-City, Yamaguchi Prefecture). 4 were found in Chusenshi Excavations in Nagato (Chusenshi Crossroads, Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture). 6 were found in Kokufu Excavations in Nagato (Kokuga, Bofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture). 4 were found in Kokubunniji Excavations in Aki Province (Saijo Town, Higashi-hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture). 2 were found in Okiura Excavations in Aki (Kamagari Town, Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture). 4 were found in Kusado-sengen Excavations in Bingo Province (Ashida River, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture). 2 were found in Kokubu Excavations in Bingo (Moto Town, Fuchu City, Hiroshima Prefecture). 2 were found in Zabu Excavations in Bingo (Tsunogo Town, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture). 1 was found in Agata-yada Excavations in Iyo Province (Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture). 1 was found in Kokubu Excavations in Sanuki Province (Fuchu Town, Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture). East of Bingo Province, we still have Bicchu, Bizen, and Harima Provinces along the Seto Inland Sea in Sanyo-do Region, and Awaji Province in Nankai-do Region. Yet, no Yue Province ceramic of celadon porcelain has been found in 16 other excavations in those areas. Officially speaking, the central government used to have the monopoly of purchasing Tang goods first, so highly precious luxuries such as Yue Province ceramics of celadon porcelain should have been purchased by the central government, and been carried to the Heian-Kyo City first. Some of them, of course, might have been awarded to provincial governments, provincial temples, and provincial nunneries. If everything had been done accordingly, then the distribution of Yue Province ceramics of celadon porcelain in excavations should have been more equal. The westward biased distribution suggests that there were people who were trading such luxuries with Tang traders, disregarding the central government, in the Western Seto Inland Sea after the first uprisings of Japanese pirates in the middle of the 9th century.