The kofun () are megalithic monuments Japan board of the proto-history which also gave their name to the Period Yamato (, IIIe - Life century). These tumuli is thus important for this period of the history of the country at the point to give him their name. These archaeological vestiges represent the only Japanese women information source over this time since the only Japanese written sources are posterior (beginning of the Life century).

Topography

These tumuli, whose form varied during the centuries, is generally in the shape of keyhole (surmounted trapezoid of a circle) but can be also round (, empun ), rectangular (, zempō-kōhō ) or squares (, hōfun ). The mixed form (, zempō kōen : in keyhole) appears purely Japanese. The funerary room, which could be painted, is in the round part. Before was generally directed towards the south or the west. One laid out to with it above and all around the Haniwa () which delimited this crowned space and protected it. The hillock could also be surrounded by pits containing of the water which then symbolized separation between the world of died and that of the life.

Evolution

Oldest kofun , built at the top of hills, is in the Kinai (), in the south of the basin of the Yamato () and is dated from second half of the 3rd century. One placed a coffin of wood at the bottom of a well dug for this purpose which one recovered of large stones and ground. One then decorated them at their top with haniwa . The objects characteristic of this period that one found there are bronze mirrors, collars of Magatama (or) and bracelets.
At the beginning of the 5th century, the importance of the volume of the kofun increases. They are built on terraces and are determined kinds of ditches. Additional monticules ( baichō ) containing a funerary furniture make their appearance. They contain mainly weapons and armours out of iron or bronze, sometimes gilded. These objects, belonging obviously to the world of the archers and the riders, testify to the appearance of a new equestrian culture and militaire.
The end of the period is characterized by a big raise of the number of kofun and the reduction of their size. Collective kofun appear also, used by the population. Funerary furniture is done increasingly utility and encumbers the burial.

Notice

The imperial kofun were still not explored because they are regarded private tombs and not as a cultural asset. The researchers have however very occasional authorizations to penetrate there when these hillocks require work of restoration.

Various types of kofun

  • Empun (rounds)
  • Hôfun (squares)
  • Zempô-kôen-fun (in form of " hole of serrure")
  • Zempô-kôhô-fun (in the form of square preceded by a rectangle)

Decoration of the kofun

The interior rooms of the kofun could be decorated. Oldest comprise triangles painted in red and noir.
In the Kyûshû, the funerary rooms of the last period comprise walls and Sarcophage S decorated with incised or painted reasons. The colors then used are the Rouge, the Noir, the Jaune, the Blanc and the Vert. This decorative practice little by little will touch a sector more vaste.
The dominant reasons are in connection with the last voyage of the heart (horses, birds, boats) or abstract (magic spirals, concentric circles, double loops in C). These chokkomon (, decorations of right-hand sides and curves) is one of the characteristic of Kofun, where they do one their first appearances, but they will become thereafter one of dominant of Japanese art. They thus constitute series of gothic arches opposed to diagonals or crosses. One primarily finds them on the spot or objects associated with the burials.

“Visit” of a kofun : Nintokuryō

That which is allotted to the “legendary” emperor Nintoku (, Nintoku Tennō, 313 - 399), close to Sakai in the area of Ōsaka (), is one of the largest burials of the world because the unit measures, with the ditches (three ditches, including one broad and narrow, full of water and surrounded by strips of land wooded), 320  000  m ². The hillock measures, for its part, 725  m length, 305  m broad and 35  m in its point highest. The round part makes up of three vast levels. According to the archeologist Umehara Sueji, approximately thousand men would have worked during four years for the only realization of the earthwork.

The site contains a great number of Haniwa on its top and its contours. The interior of the first ditch counts a line of 17  of it; 775 parts buried on the whole, of which the apparent upper part measures on average 33  cm in height and offers a varied range of subjects.

It excavated forever but the collapse of the principal part in 1872 put at the day the funerary room. It contains a stone sarcophagus of a volume of 9,5  m ³ and a funerary furniture in particular containing gilded bronze armours, bronze and iron weapons and a vase out of Persian glass.

The monument is surrounded by ten of other small tombs. One of them, excavated in 1912 revealed many mirrors, pearls and ornament various including one magatama of jade an exceptional length of 8  cm.


Other examples of kofun

Kansai

Also in Ōsaka, the kofun in zempôkoen of the Emperor Ojin (), the Ojinryō (), father of the Nintoku emperor, whose dimensions are about comparable with Nintokuryô, was not excavated.

The tomb Ishiyama (, the stone mountain) in the Prefecture of Mie (, Mie-ken) in zempōkoen , remarkable for its three lines of haniwa , contained three wood coffins dug in a tree and wrapped clay as well as a rich strong funerary furniture. It is dated from the 4th century.

Large the tumulus in zempōkoen of Shikinzan () close to Ōsaka, excavated in 1947, contained an important funerary furniture: complete armament, pearls, magatama, mirrors… It is dated around IVe - Ve century. The funerary room consists of a long corridor paved, framed walls out of stones irregular and covered with enormous flagstones plates.
The tomb of Senzoku () in the Prefecture of Okayama (, Okayama-ken ), particular for its form called in tategaishiki (in Scallop), is famous for its funerary movable rich person and the decoration engraved on its walls in chokkomon (decoration of right-hand sides and curves).

The kofun of Ishibutai () (approximately 7th century) is located in the national historical park of Ishibutai at Asuka () near many temples and vestiges of old important monuments. Excavated in 1933, it is characterized by imposing entered side in massive rocks but, because of an erosion which had with a partial immersion under rice plantations, the funerary room is exposed in the open air. The weight of largest of the rocks which composes it (southernmost part of the ceiling) is estimated at 75/77 tons. One allots it to Soga No Umako ().

One recently discovered the kofun of Shijun in the department of Nara (), which was up to that point also immersed under rice plantations.

Kyūshū

Saitobaru (), in the Prefecture of Miyazaki (, Miyazaki-ken ), is a large terrace on which were found 330 tumuli of various size and form, including 32 large kofun in zempōkoen , even in the shape of “mirror with handle”. The site is excavated since 1912. These kofun is characterized by their quality of construction and their more regional funerary furniture.

The tumulus of Iwatoyama () to Yame is one of largest Kyūshū. One finds of it a description in the Nihon Shoki () and in the Chikugo kuni fudoki written with the 8th century and its celebrity unfortunately the dissemination of its elements caused.

The kofun of Funayama () (Prefecture of Kumamoto, Kumamoto-ken ), always in zempōkoen , belongs to a whole of tombs ( kofungun ) close to the Kikuchi river. Excavated in 1873, it revealed a sarcophagus in “the shape of house” (, iegata) and a right sword (, tsurugi ) registered particularly interesting gone back to 438 and indicating the presence of Chinese writing to Japan.

The round tumulus of Idera () (, Préfecture of Kumamoto) started to be excavated as of the end of the era Edo (). It is remarkable for its incised and painted flagstones (in particular of the chokkomon ). The funerary room, built in volcanic rocks of the Mount Aso (), was excavated in 1902. The Second world war alas damaged the burial.

Opened in 1934, the tumulus of Ōtsuka () (Prefecture of Fukuoka, Fukuoka-ken ), in spite of the loss of its “square” part, remains a monument of importance, particularly thanks to its painted and engraved funerary room. The illustration more seizing is perhaps the representation of two riders in the passage between the anteroom and the room itself. It also contained one of richest funerary furniture of Kyūshū.

The kofun of Sekijinyama () (prefecture of Fukuoka) in zempōkoen holds its name of a “stone man” (, sekijin ) in armor located at the entry of the round tumulus. The tumulus, initially surrounded by ditches, is currently particularly damaged as a whole. At the time of its excavation (1938), funerary furniture had already disappeared but the sarcophagus of a superb manufacture was always in place. The lid “in the shape of roof” (, yanegata ), decorated in chokkomon (not without pointing out the decorations of Senzoku in Kansai), in is particularly impressive. It is however so massive that the access to the sarcophagus, once the lid set up, was done by a door arranged on one on the small sides.

The small tomb of Takehara () (always in the prefecture of Fukuoka) in 1956 was discovered. It is remarkable for its paintings which decorate the wall of the bottom of the funerary room and which melts of it one of the sōshoku kofun () (tombs with decoration) most original. Time transformed this tumulus into zempōkoen in tumulus round. The other walls of the anteroom and the funerary room are also painted.

Kantō and Chūbu

The tumulus Shōrinzan () close to Iwata () in the Préfecture of Shizuoka (, Shizuoka-ken ) also in form of zempōkoen was excavated in 1931. It revealed an important funerary furniture (of very beautiful mirrors, pearls, magatama , armaments…) who seems to be oldest of the area of Iwata.

The area of Yoshimi Hyakketsu (), in the Prefecture of Saitama (, Saitama-ken ), is particularly rich in old burials and in particular in tumuli round or zempōkoen , testifying to a company divided into many small Chefferie S.

See too

Related articles

Sources

  • Louis Frederic, Japan: dictionary and civilization , Robert Laffont, coll “Books”, 1999,1470 p. (ISBN 2-221-06764-9) (pages 628-629) ;

  • Danielle and Vadime Elisseeff, the Art of old Japan , Mazenod, 1980,620 p. (ISBN 2-85088-010-8) ;
  • (pages 22 to 26) ;
  • (pages 28 to 40) .

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