Inariyama Kofun
稲荷山古墳 | |
Gyōda, Saitama, Japan | |
| Region | Kantō region |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°7′45.81″N 139°28′51.66″E / 36.1293917°N 139.4810167°E |
| Type | Kofun |
| History | |
| Founded | 5th century AD |
| Periods | Kofun period |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | Yes |
The Inariyama Kofun (稲荷山古墳) is a
Overview
The Inariyama Kofun has a total length of 120 meters, and is thus the second largest tumulus in the Saitama Kofun Cluster. The construction period is thought to be the latter half of the 5th century, the latter part of the Kofun period. It was the first to be built in the Saitama Kofun cluster. The tumulus is a zenpō-kōen-fun (前方後円墳), which is shaped like a keyhole, having one square end and one circular end, when viewed from above. Proportionately, it is a one-quarter scale version of the
The mound is built in two steps, and there is no evidence that
An unusual feature of this tumulus is a protrusion extending from the western side of the tumulus, near the joint between the rectangular and circular portions. This is a feature which also appears in the Gyōda Futagoyama Kofun, Teppōyama Kofun and Shogunyama Kofun in the Sakitama Kofun Group, but is rarely found in other locations. Called a "Tsukuridashi", it was apparently a platform used for rituals.
The burial chamber contained a wooden coffin that was surrounded by a clay wrap resting on a layer of gravel. Artifacts included iron swords, a bronze mirror, magatama, two silver rings, bronze and gold metal fittings, fragments of armor and horse harnesses. The excavated items were designated as an Important Cultural Property in 1981 and a National Treasure in 1983.[2] Due to the rich grave goods, it very likely that the buried person was a high-ranking figure who was related to the Yamato court. The most important find within the burial chamber was an iron sword with a gold-inlay inscription. Known as the Inariyama Sword, the inscription gives a date of either 471AD or 531AD and the name of the person buried in the tomb as "Wowake".The sword is held in Saitama Prefectural Museum of the Sakitama Ancient Burial Mounds (埼玉県立さきたま史跡の博物館).[3] The inscription also mentions a person named "Ōhatsuse-wakatakeru-no-mikoto" who is mentioned in the Nihon Shoki, as an alias of Emperor Yūryaku.[4] It is unknown if "Wowake" was a local ruler, or was someone who had been dispatched by the Yamato kingdom to rule over this year, but from the design of the tumulus and its grave goods, the connection with western Japan was very strong.
- Overall length
- 120 meters
- Posterior circular portion
- 62 meter diameter x 11.7 meter high
- Anterior rectangular portion
- 74 meters wide x 10.7 meters high
Gallery
-
Reconstruction of burial chamber floor -
posteior towards anterior -
anterior towards posterior -
Tsukuridashi
,_kouenbu.jpg)
,_zenpoubu.jpg)
See also
References
- ^ "埼玉古墳群" [Saikitama Kofun Cluster] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
- ^ "武蔵埼玉稲荷山古墳出土品" [Musashi Saitama Inariyama Kofun Excavated Items] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
- ^ "埼玉県／さきたま古墳公園". Archived from the original on 2008-09-14. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
- ^ Joan R. Piggott, The Emergence of Japanese Kingship, Stanford University Press, 1997
External links
Media related to Inariyama Kofun (Gyoda) at Wikimedia Commons
- Gyoda city home page (in Japanese)
- Museum of the Sakitama Ancient Burial Mounds (in Japanese)