Nara Pref. Keyhole-shaped mound

Higashitonozuka Kofun

LocationNara Pref.
ShapeKeyhole-shaped mound
Mound length139 m
PeriodEarly 4th c.

Overview

139m keyhole mound in Tenri City, known for its excavated painted pottery.Yielded painted pottery (special pedestal vessels depicting horses, boats, buildings, and figures), offering rare insight into early Kofun funerary rituals. The site is preserved and managed by Tenri City and is accessible to walkers.

Finds & research

Surveys by Tenri City Board of Education. Defining finds: painted pottery (special pedestal vessels and jar-shaped vessels) bearing incised images of horses, boats, buildings, human figures, and paired-leg ring motifs — first-class evidence of funerary ritual at the Yayoi–Kofun transition. Cylindrical and morning-glory haniwa and stone paving also confirmed. Similar painted pottery from the Makimuku site and Tatetsuki site (Okayama) indicates a broad 3rd–4th-century ritual sphere.

Two views on the occupant

Archaeological view
Occupant unknown. Vertical-shaft stone chamber. Haniwa and painted pottery excavated.
Imperial Household Agency view
Not managed by IHA.
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Sources

Wikipedia天理市教育委員会

Related kofun

Hashihaka Kofun (280m) Nishitonozuka Kofun (230m) Andonzan Kofun (242m) Shibuyamukaiyama Kofun (300m) Kurozuka Kofun (130m) Sakurai Chausuyama Kofun (207m)
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