Also known as: Southernmost keyhole mound on Honshu
Location
Wakayama Pref.
Shape
Keyhole-shaped mound
Mound length
45 m
Period
Late 4th–early 5th c.
Designation
National Historic Site
Overview
The southernmost keyhole mound on Honshu (~45m mound length, ~50m moat-inclusive), located in Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture. National Historic Site. A late 4th–early 5th-century mound; pit-style stone chamber yielded large jade tubular beads. Presumed tomb of a maritime chieftain controlling the Kumano coastal routes.
Finds & research
Large jade tubular beads, Jomon pottery, Yayoi pottery, Heian-period salt-making pottery (held at Wakayama Prefectural Museum).
Two views on the occupant
Archaeological view
~45m keyhole mound (moat-inclusive length ~50m, outer ditch ~60m). Rear circle 22–25m dia., ~2.5m high. Located in Shimosato, Nachikatsuura Town, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture — the southernmost keyhole mound on Honshu. Late 4th–early 5th century. Burial facility is a pit-style stone chamber (5.35m long, 4.75m inner). Finds include large jade tubular beads, Jomon pottery, Yayoi pottery, and Heian-period salt-making pottery. The occupant is presumed to have been a maritime chieftain controlling sea routes along southern Kii.
Imperial Household Agency view
Not an IHA mausoleum; designated a National Historic Site.