Archaeological Studies on Ancient Cemetery

Research Project

Project/Area Number	04610245
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	考古学(含先史学)
Research Institution	Osaka University
Principal Investigator	FUKUNAGA Shinya Faculty of Letters Osaka Univ. Curatorial Assistant, 文学部, 助手 (50189958)
Project Period (FY)	1992 – 1993
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1993)
Budget Amount *help	¥1,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000) Fiscal Year 1993: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000) Fiscal Year 1992: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Keywords	cemetery / dense clusters of pits / Yayoi period / Kofun period / mortuary custom / 方形周溝墓
Research Abstract	In an attempt to ascertain epochs of social evolution in prehistoric and early historic Japan, I have conducted detailed research into structural changes in cemeteries over time. I have particularly paid attention to those of the Kofun Period (ca. late third to sicth centuries AD ), over whose nature debates still continue. As a result of analysisi of examples in the Kinki District, I have reached a conclusion that dense clusteres of pits which increased considerably in the Kofun Period were cemeteries of commoners. The spread of such cemeteries was an important epoch in the social evolution as evidenced in nortuary customs. It would represent a marked development frpm the stage in which many people were buried in small and low mounds of th esimilar size during the preceding Yayoi Period to the stage characterized by the distnction between a minority buried in gigantic keyhole-shaped tumuli and the majority buried in such desely clustered pits.