is group of ''

kofun are megalithic tombs or tumulus, tumuli in Northeast Asia. ''Kofun'' were mainly constructed in the Japanese archipelago between the middle of the 3rd century to the early 7th century AD.岡田裕之「前方後円墳」『日本古代史大辞 ...

burial mound Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

s located in what is now the Hinode area of the city of

Sabae, Fukui is a Cities of Japan, city located in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 69,338 in 24,167 households and the population density of 820 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Geography Sabae is located ...

in the

Hokuriku region The is located in the northwestern part of Honshu, the main island of Japan. It lies along the Sea of Japan and is part of the larger Chūbu region. It is almost equivalent to the former Koshi Province (Japan), Koshi Province and Hokurikudō are ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1967.

Overview

The Ōzan Kofun Cluster is located on an isolated hill with an elevation of 62 meters near the centre of the modern city of Sabae, and consists of 49 tumuli dating to the late

Yayoi period The Yayoi period (弥生時代, ''Yayoi jidai'') (c. 300 BC – 300 AD) is one of the major historical periods of the Japanese archipelago. It is generally defined as the era between the beginning of food production in Japan and the emergence o ...

through the early

Kofun period The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...

. The area was originally designated a protected area in 1942; however, after a detailed survey was conducted in 1967, it was determined that the area under protection did not include all of the site, whereas conversely a large portion of the protected area was not necessary. The borders of the area were revised and the new boundaries became a National Historic Site in 1967 A total of eleven tumuli were excavated in 1965 (No. 1–7, 9, 25, 31 and 32), of which No. 1, 3, 4, and 7 were (), eight to twelve meters on each side with a height of one to two meters, and were dated to the late Yayoi period. All of the tombs had the remnants of a wooden

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:σάρξ, σάρξ ...

, with the exception of No. 4, which had two. All of the tombs had

grave goods Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are items buried along with a body. They are usually personal possessions, supplies to smooth the deceased's journey into an afterlife, or offerings to gods. Grave goods may be classed by researche ...

, mostly pottery fragments, with the exception of No.1, which was completely bare. Tomb No. 3 had goods from the

Tōkai region The is a subregion of the Chūbu region and Kansai region in Japan that runs along the Pacific Ocean. The name comes from the Tōkaidō, one of the Edo Five Routes. Because Tōkai is a sub-region and is not officially classified, there is ...

and

Kansai region The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropol ...

of Japan, indicating the existence of long-distance trade. Tombs No. 5, 7, 9 and 25 were also square tombs, eight to fourteen meters on a side, but were dated from the early Kofun period, as indicated by the presence of fragments of swords and other weapons, and metal horse fittings found inside. Tomb No. 31 was a round tumulus with diameter of twenty meters and height of two meters, and Tomb No. 32 was also a (), but with diameter of eight meters. Both were also dated to the early Kofun period, and contained many artifacts. The tomb does not appear in any historical records and the name of rank of the person buried within is unknown. It is one of many similar tumuli which have been discovered in the area, which has been densely populated since the Yayoi and Kofun periods, and from its scale it must have been the tomb of a local chieftain or other person of importance. The site is now preserved as a public park with walking trails, and is about a five-minute walk from Sabae Station on the

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...

Hokuriku Main Line The Hokuriku Main Line () is a railway line owned by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting Maibara Station in Maibara, Shiga, with Tsuruga Station in Tsuruga, Fukui. The line formerly extended as far as Naoetsu Station in ...

References

External links

Sabae city home page

{{in lang, ja History of Fukui Prefecture Sabae, Fukui Historic Sites of Japan Echizen Province Kofun clusters

Overview

See also

References

External links