Kofun (古墳, fromSino-Japanese "ancient burial mound") are megalithictombs ortumuli inNortheast Asia.Kofun were mainly constructed in theJapanese archipelago between the middle of the 3rd century to the early 7th century AD.[1]
The term is the origin of the name of theKofun period, which indicates the middle 3rd century to early–middle 6th century. Manykofun have distinctive keyhole-shaped mounds (zempō-kōen fun (前方後円墳)). TheMozu-Furuichi kofungun or tumulus clusters were inscribed on theUNESCO World Heritage List in 2019, whileIshibutai Kofun is one of a number inAsuka-Fujiwara residing on theTentative List.[2][3]
Thekofun tumuli have assumed various shapes throughout history. The most common type ofkofun is known as azenpō-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. There are also circular-type (empun [ja] (円墳)), "two conjoined rectangles" typed (zenpō-kōhō-fun [ja] (前方後方墳)), and square-type (hōfun [ja] (方墳)) kofun. Orientation of kofun is not specified. For example, in the Mozukofun group, in Sakai, several of the circular parts are facing north, while other face east. However, there is no such formation in the Yanagimotokofun group.Haniwa,terracotta figures, were arrayed above and in the surroundings to delimit and protect the sacred areas.
Kofun range from several metres to over 400 m long. The largest, which has been attributed toEmperor Nintoku, isDaisen Kofun inSakai City, Osaka Prefecture.
The funeral chamber was located beneath the round part and comprised a group of megaliths. In 1972, the unlootedTakamatsuzuka Tomb was found inAsuka, and some details of the discovery were revealed. Inside the tightly assembled rocks, whitelime plasters were pasted, and colored pictures depict the 'Asuka Beauties' of the court as well as constellations. A stone coffin was placed in the chamber, and accessories, swords, and bronze mirrors were laid both inside and outside the coffin. The wall paintings have been designatednational treasures and the grave goods asimportant cultural property, while the tumulus is aspecial historic site.[4][5]
Kofun burial mounds and their remains have been found all over Japan, including remote islands such asNishinoshima.[6]
A total of 161,560 kofun tomb sites have been found as of 2001.Hyōgo Prefecture has the most of all prefectures (16,577 sites), andChiba Prefecture has the second most (13,112 sites).[7]
Most of the tombs of chiefs in theYayoi period were square-shaped mounds surrounded by ditches. The most notable example in the late Yayoi period isTatetsuki Mound Tomb inKurashiki, Okayama. The mound is about 45 metres wide and 5 metres high and has a shaft chamber. Broken pieces ofTokushu-kidai, cylindrical earthenware, were excavated around the mound.
Another prevalent type of Yayoi period tomb is theYosumi tosshutsugata funkyūbo, a square mound with protruding corners. These tombs were built in theSan'in region, a coastal area off the Sea of Japan. Unearthed articles indicate the existence of alliances between native tribes in the region.
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One of the first keyhole-shaped kofun was built in theMakimuku area,[8] the southeastern part of the Nara Basin.Hashihaka Kofun, which was built in the middle of the 3rd century AD, is 280 metres long and 30 metres high. Its scale is obviously different from previous Yayoi tombs. During the next three decades, about 10 kofun were built in the area. They are now known as theMakimuku Kofun Group. A wooden coffin was placed on the bottom of a shaft, and the surrounding walls were built up by flat stones. Finally, megalithic stones formed the roof.Bronze mirrors, iron swords,magatama, clay vessels and other artifacts were found in good condition in undisturbed tombs. Some scholars assume that the person buried in theHashihaka kofun was the shadowy ancient QueenHimiko ofYamataikoku, mentioned in Chinese historical texts. According to these texts, Japan was calledWa, and was a confederation of numerous small tribes or countries. The construction of gigantic kofun was the result of the relatively centralized governmental structure in the Nara Basin, possibly the origin of the Yamato polity and the Imperial lineage of Japan.
During the 5th century AD, the construction of keyhole kofun began inYamato Province; continued in Kawachi, where gigantic kofun, such asDaisen Kofun of theEmperor Nintoku, were built; and then throughout the country. The proliferation of keyhole kofun is generally assumed to be evidence of the Yamato court's expansion in this age. However, some argue that it simply shows the spread of culture based on progress in distribution, and has little to do with a political breakthrough.
A few tombs from the mid-Baekje era were excavated around the Yeongsan River basin in South Korea.[citation needed] The design of these tombs are notably different. The tombs that were discovered on the Korean peninsula were built between the 5th and 6th centuries CE.[citation needed] There remain questions about who were buried in these tombs such as nobility, aristocracy, warriors or mercenaries.
![An example of keyhole-shaped mound in the Mid-Kofun period which was drawn in 3DCG. (Nakatsuyama Kofun [ja] (Fujiidera, Osaka), 5th century)](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aCG_Nakatsuyama_kofun_Southeast.jpg)
Keyhole-shaped kofun disappeared in the late 6th century AD, probably due to the drastic reformation in the Yamato court.Nihon Shoki records the introduction ofBuddhism during this era, which led tocremation becoming the primary funerary means of the nobility.
Keyhole Kofun, orZenpokoenfun, are a notable type of Japanese ancient tomb consisting of a square front part (前方部) and a circular back part (後円部).[9] The part connecting the two is called the middle part (くびれ部), which looks like akeyhole when viewed from above.[10]
Round Kofun [ja] (円墳,enpun) are a kind of kofun that possesses only a round mound and lacks the square segment.[11]
Square kofun (方墳, hōfun) are a kind of kofun that possesses only a square mound and lacks the round segment. They are typically relatively smaller than the other shapes of mounded tombs.[11]
Scallop Kofun [ja] is a kind of kofun defined by a circular body with a small part extending. This can make it an interrmediate between aKeyhole-shaped kofun and acircular-type kofun [ja].[11]
Famous examples includeHokenoyama Kofun in theMakimuku ruins,[12][13]: 249 dated to around 250 AD,[13]: 253 andNyotaizan Kofun.
Octagonal Kofun [ja] (八角墳,hakkaku-fun) are a very rare kind of kofun characteristic of Emperors.
Many Japanese Emperors were buried in them includingEmpress Kōgyoku inKengoshizuka Kofun,[14][15]Emperor Tenji inhis Mausoleum,[16] andEmperor Jomei inDannozuka Kofun[17][18]
From the end of the 6th century to the beginning of the 7th, the tumuli of the monarchs changed fromsquarehōfun tumuli [ja] to octagonalhakkaku-fun [ja] tumuli.[19]
zenpō-kōhō-fun [ja] (前方後方墳, two conjoined rectangles kofun) is a kind ofkofun shaped somewhat like the more keyhole shapedZenpokoenfun, but they have a square body rather than a circular one.[20][21] They tend to be smaller thanZenpokoenfun.[22]Yanaida Nunōyama Kofun is one of the largest of the type[23].
There is a specific style exemplified byYadani Kofun andJinyama Tumulus Cluster andRokuji Kozuka Kofun andTomisaki Kofungun ofŌzuka-Senbōyama Sites asyosumi-tosshutsugata (四隅突出形), which is square or rectangular, with protrusions on each of its four corners; however, it is unique in that it is not a true rectangle, but has a narrow waist, similar to a "two conjoined rectangles" type (zenpō-kōhō-fun [ja] (前方後方墳)). The slope of the mound is covered withfukiishi -like stones, with a row of larger stones marking its edge, and is surrounded by a two-meter wide moat. Theyosumi-tosshutsugata style is unique to the late middle Yayoi period and is most prevalent in western Japan in areas influenced by theIzumo culture.[23]
Joenkahofun [ja] (上円下方墳) is a rare kind of kofun with a round dome top and a square bottom.[24][25][23]
They are associated with theAsuka Period.[24][26]
Musashi Fuchū Kumano Jinja Kofun inFuchū in Tokyo andMiyazuka Kofun are two notable examples.[23]
Corridor-type kofun [ja] (横穴式石室,yokoana-shiki sekishitsu) are a kind of kofun dug as artificial caves inAncient Japan.[27][28][29]
This list includes the "Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan,"[30] which was inscribed as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site on 6 July 2019.[31]
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