Yoshinogari Keitai-Guide
This is thought to be the location of the main east gate of the Yoshinogari settlement. The moat on both sides of the gate is for defending the entrance. Excavations have confirmed that the earth dug from the moat was piled up to make earthwork embankments. It is assumed that there was a palisade on top of these earthworks. Going through the gate, on both sides of the road are trees with sharpened branches set diagonally in the ground. These are known as an abates. Diagonal holes into which this type of abatis is thought to have been set have been excavated and restored to their original condition. The entrance to the settlement being securely defended in this way with a moat, earthwork embankments, a palisade and an abatis shows that this era was a warlike one.
(C)YOSHINOGARI HISTORICAL PARK