Regional Studies on Chiefly Mounded Tombs in the Early Kofun Period

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K01096
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 03050:Archaeology-related
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: NOJIMA HISASHI 広島大学, 人間社会科学研究科(文), 教授 (80379908)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 考古学 / 古墳時代 / 前方後円墳 / 首長墓系列 / 広島県

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Regional studies on chiefly mounted tombs are considered crucial for understanding political relationships and interregional exchanges during the early Kofun period, a time without written records. The chiefly mounded tombs in the downstream area of the Ota River (Hiroshima Bay coast) in Hiroshima City were compared with those in Higashi-Hiroshima City (around the Saijo Basin) to the east. Keyhole-shaped mounded tombs were constructed on the Hiroshima Bay coast using pit-style stone chambers, and Han and Wei mirrors as grave goods. In contrast, in Higashi-Hiroshima City, all the round tombs have multiple box-shaped stone coffins, which are considered to be of a lower rank than pit-style stone chambers placed on tomb tops, and only the Japanese mirrors were buried. It is reasonable to conclude that clear disparities in mound shapes, burial facilities, and even grave goods existed, depending on the interaction with the Yamato government (central polity).

Free Research Field

考古学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

個別古墳に関わる基礎的情報（墳丘規模や埋葬施設、副葬品など）は重要だが、当時の社会情勢を推し量るためには、それだけでなく、古墳時代の首長墓系列を把握し、当時の社会体制・社会情勢を推測することも必要となる。中国王朝への貢賜関係を取り結ぶために瀬戸内海の航海、交通ルートの開発が行われたとみられる。安芸地域の首長墓系列の盛衰・消長については、当時の畿内政権との政治的情勢が関与しており、瀬戸内海域の移動ルートの変化にも起因することを想定した。古墳時代の地域社会の実情とともに、安芸灘といった自然環境に関する総合学習にも寄与する知見を提供することができる。