★ World Heritage Sakai, Osaka Keyhole-shaped mound

Nagayama Kofun

Satellite tomb of the Mausoleum of Emperor Nintoku
LocationSakai, Osaka
ShapeKeyhole-shaped mound
Mound length100 m
PeriodEarly 5th c.
DesignationImperial Satellite Tomb (IHA)
World HeritageMozu-Furuichi Kofun Group (UNESCO)

Overview

A 100m keyhole mound just outside the outer moat on the north side of Daisen Kofun, 10.3m high at both the rear circle and the front section, laid out — like Daisen itself — along the western edge of the plateau with its front section to the south, and generally read as connected with Daisen. The IHA administers it as a satellite of the Nintoku mausoleum, though the fact that it is a large keyhole mound with a projection has led some to doubt that it is a satellite at all. It appears to have been built in three tiers, ringed by a moat, with a projection on the west of the waist and an earthen causeway across the moat on the east (whether the causeway is original is unclear). The satellite tomb system (baicho) developed around the great royal mounds of the 5th century, and more than a dozen satellite mounds are documented across the Mozu and Furuichi groups combined.Constituent monument of the "Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group" UNESCO World Heritage Site (2019). Managed separately from the main Daisen Kofun enclosure as a "detached" IHA site. The satellite tomb system (baicho) is attested across ancient East Asia and concentrates around the great Japanese royal mounds of the 5th century. The presence of satellite tombs reflects both the power of the great kings and the ancient belief that close attendants should rest beside their lord in death.

Finds & research

No excavation has been carried out, owing to IHA mausoleum regulations. Internal structure and grave goods remain unknown. Only the exterior can be viewed, from the perimeter and the moat side.

Two views on the occupant

Archaeological view
A keyhole mound associated with Daisen Kofun (the designated Emperor Nintoku mausoleum). 100m long, 10.3m high at both the rear circle and the front section, built in three tiers, and dated to the middle of the Middle Kofun period (first half of the 5th century). No finds are recorded from it. The occupant has not been identified. Within the Mozu group it is a medium-sized keyhole mound, but large for a satellite tomb.
Imperial Household Agency view
Managed by the IHA as a tobichi (detached parcel) satellite of the Nintoku Mausoleum. A baicho is a supplementary mound for people close to the principal occupant (attendants, kin, or clan members); several are placed around Daisen Kofun. Tobichi indicates a parcel set apart from the main enclosure rather than directly adjoining it.
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Sources

百舌鳥・古市古墳群 公式サイト文化庁 文化遺産オンライン(世界遺産構成資産解説)

Related kofun

Daisen Kofun (486m) Kamiishizu Misanzai Kofun (365m) Haze Nisanzai Kofun (300m) Gobyoyama Kofun (203m) Tadeiyama Kofun (148m) Itasuke Kofun (146m)
← Itasuke Kofun Magodayuyama Kofun →