NARAYAMA EXCAVATION REPORT Ｉ ＩNVESTIGATIONS OF THE ISHINOKARATO TUMULUS AND THE ONJOGADANI TUMULUS（2005）

CONTENTS

Chapter I Introduction   1

1 Circumstances and Outline of the General Research   1

2 Historical Environment  2

3 Organization of the Excavations  5

Chapter II Ishinokarato Tumulus   7

1 Previous Studies   7

2 Outline of the excavation  9

A Division into the Sectors of the Excavated Area  9

B Diary   11

3 Location of the Site   16

A Geographical Environment   16

B Current Condition   17

4 Research Data   19

A Features   19

B Findings   43

Chapter III Onjogadani Tumulus   46

1 Location of the Tumulus   46

2 Outline of the Excavation   46

A Division into the Sectors of the Excavated Area  46

B Diary   49

3 Research Data   52

A Current Condition   52

B Features   52

C Findings   63

Chapter IV Excavations at Points No.13 and  No.15   104

1 Process of the Researches   104

A Outline of the Excavations   104

B Diary   106

2 Result of the Excavation at Point No.15  106

A Location of the Tumulus   106

B Features   108

C Findings   109

D Reconstruction of the Mound and Dating   110

3 Result of the Excavation at Point No.13   111

A Features   111

B Findings   113

Chapter V Studies and Analyses   115

1 Reconstructing of the Process of the Ishinokarato Tumulus  115

2 Study on the Planning of the Ishinokarato Tumulus   119

A Mound   119

B Compartment Protecting a Coffin   121

C Joen-kahofun Style Mounded Tumuli   122

3 Comparison of the Similar Tumuli in the Final Kofun Period   123

A Mound Planning   123

B How to Build the Mound   126

C Comparison of the Compartments Protecting the Coffin   127

D Coffins and Grave Goods   128

E Gold Sheet   130

4 Scientific Analyses of the Findings of the Ishinokarato Tumulus   132

A Gold and Silver   132

B Amber   134

C Lacquer Pieces   136

5 Studies of the Haniwa of the Onjogadani Tumulus  138

A Horse-Shaped Haniwa   138

B Cattle-Shaped Haniwa   139

C Sokyaku Rinjomon-Shaped Haniwa   141

D Ritual Staff-Shaped Haniwa   144

E Characters of the Haniwa of the Onjogadani Tumulus   145

Chapter VI Conclusion   148

English Summary  151

COLOR PLATES

1 Far view of the Ishinokarato tumulus

2 1. Mound and drainage ditches of the Ishinokarato tumulus

2.Tomb passage and its filled soil of the Ishinokarato tumulus

3 1. Inner view of the stone compartment of the Ishinokarato tumulus

2. Findings of the Ishinokarato tumulus

3. Gold sheets found at the Ishinokarato tumulus

4 1. Haniwa assemblage of the Onjogadani tumulus

PLATES

ISHINOKARATO TUMULUS

1 1. Panorama of the Narayama hills

2. Reconstructed mound

2 1. Far view from above

2. Scene before excavation

3. General Scene

4 1. Close view of the mound

2. Close view of the mound

5 1. Close view after digging up the tomb passage

2. Tomb passage

6 1. Paving stones on the Square base

2. A comer of the Square base

3. Paving stones on the slope of the Square base

4. Terrace of the Square base

7 1. SD07

2. SD03

3. SD04

4. SD06

5. SD04

8 1. Trench No.4

2. Trench No.5

3. Trench No.1

4. Trench No.9

9 1. Mark of the removing roller rails

2. Stone paving under the mound

3. Cross-section of the fill of the tomb passage

4. Cross-section of the mound

10 1. Door of the stone compartment

2. Back wall of the stone compartment

11 1. Eastern side wall and ceiling of the stone compartment

2. Inner view of the ceiling of the stone compartment

3. Western side wall of the stone compartment

4. South-western corner of the stone compartment

12 1. South half of the stone compartment

2. Surface of the side wall of the stone compartment

3. Outer surface of the stone compartment

4. Outer surface of the ceiling of the stone compartment

13 1. Ornament s of the sward and bead

2. Amber beads

3. Lacquer pieces

4. Sue dish

5. Sue lid

ONJOGADANI TUMULUS

14 1. View from a far

2. Close view of the tomb

15 1. Close view of the tomb

2. Rectangle earthen pit

3. Haniwa in situ at the sector C

4. Haniwa in situ at the sect or D

16 1. Main burial facility of the tomb

2. Stone paving on the stone chamber floor

3. Drainage ditch under the stone chamber floor

4. Total scene of the drainage ditch

17 1. Y axis cross section of the mound

2. X axis cross section of the mound (center of the mound)

3. X axis cross section of the mound (foot of the mound)

18 Horse-shaped haniwa (1)

19 Horse-shaped haniwa (2)

20 Horse-shaped haniwa (3)

21 Horse-shaped haniwa (4)

22 Horse-shaped haniwa (5)

23 Horse-shaped haniwa (6)

24 Animal-shaped haniwa (1)

25 Animal-shaped haniwa (2)

26 Human figurine haniwa

27 Wheel-shaped haniwa with two ribbon-like projections and shield shaped haniwa

28 Ritual staff-shaped haniwa (1)

29 Ritual staff-shaped haniwa (2)

30 Ritual staff-shaped haniwa (3)

31 Sunshade-shaped haniwa

32 Sunshade-shaped haniwa and house-shaped haniwa

33 Miscellaneous haniwa representing utensils

34 Cylindrical haniwa (1)

35 Cylindrical haniwa (2)

36 Cylindrical haniwa (3)

37 Sue ware

38 Metal objects and a bead

POINTS No. 13 AND No.15

39 1. General scene of the point No.15

2. Moat of the tumulus of the point No.15

40 1. Trench No.5 of the point No.13

2. Trench No.4 of the point No.13

3. Trench No.3 of the point No.13

4. Trench No.1 of the point No.13

41 1. Dual lines of haniwa of the point No.13

2. Dual lines of haniwa of the point No.13

42 Findings

PLAN

Plan of the Ishinokarato tumulus (1: 80)

FIGURES

ISHINOKARATO TUMULUS

1 Distribution of archaeological sites around Narayama hills   3

2 Setting of trenches   10

3 Excavated features   15

4 Geographical map in the vicinity of the Ishinokarato tumulus  16

5 Current condition of the tumulus  18

6 Plane view and cross-section of trench No.1  20·21

7 Cross-section of the fill of the tomb passage in trench No.2  22

8 Cross-section of trench No.6   24

9 Plane view of trench No.7   24

10 Plane view and cross-section of trench No.3  26·27

11 Plane view and cross-section of trench No.5  28

12 Plane view and cross-section of trench No.4  30

13 Plane view of trench No.8  32

14 Plane view of trench No.9  33

15 Cross-section of trench No.2  35

16 Tomb passage and the stone compartment  36

17 Stone compartment  38

18 Inner surface of the stone  compartment  40·41

19 Cross-section of the fill in the compartment and its floor   42

20 Findings  44

21 Pottery  45

ONJOGADANI TUMULUS

22 Distribution of archaeological sites near the Onjogadani tumulus  47

23 Sectors of the excavated area   48

24 Current condition of the tumulus  51

25 Distribution of the features   53

26 Cross-section of the ditch   54

27 Plane view and cross-section of the rectangle earthen pit   54

28 Haniwa in situ at the sector C   55

29 Haniwa in situ at the sector D   56

30 Floor of the stone chamber   57

31 Plane view and cross-section of the drainage ditch  58

32 Drainage ditch after removing the cover stones   59

33 Distribution of the grave goods in the stone chamber   60

34 Cross-sections of the mound   61

35 Horse-shaped haniwa (1)   64

36 Horse-shaped haniwa (2)   65

37 Horse-shaped haniwa (3)   66

38 Horse-shaped haniwa (4)   67

39 Horse-shaped haniwa (5)   68

40 Horse-shaped haniwa (6)   70

41 Horse-shaped haniwa (7)   71

42 Horse-shaped haniwa (8)   72

43 Horse-shaped haniwa (9)   73

44 Animal-shaped haniwa (1)   76

45 Animal-shaped haniwa (2)   77

46 Animal-shaped and human figurine haniwa  79

47 Wheel-shaped haniwa with two ribbon-like projections and others  81

48 Ritual staff-shaped haniwa (1)   83

49 Ritual staff-shaped haniwa (2)   85

50 Ritual staff-shaped haniwa (3)   86

51 Sunshade-shaped haniwa (1)   88

52 Sunshade-shaped haniwa (2)   89

53 Miscellaneous haniwa   91

54 Cylindrical butts of haniwa  92

55 Cylindrical haniwa (1)   94

56 Cylindrical haniwa (2)   95

57 Sue ware (1)   98

58 Sue ware (2)   100

59 Iron objects   101

60 Horse ornaments and a bead    102

POINTS No.13 AND No.15

61 Geographical map in the vicinity of the both point  105

62 Features of point No.15   107

63 Cross-section of the No.15 burial mound   108

64 Findings of point No.15   109

65 Plane views of point No.13   112

66 Cross-sections of point No.13   113

67 Haniwa found at point No.13   114

STUDI ES AND ANALYSES

68 Reconstructing of the Ishinokarato tumulus  116

69 Planning of the Ishinokarato tumulus   120

70 Planning of the Kitora tumulus    124

71 Planning of the Maruko-yama tumulus   125

72 How to draw a hexagon   134

73 Infrared spectrum of the material (transparent part)  134

74 Infrared spectrum of the material (powder part)   134

75 X-ray fluorescence spectrum of the material (inner part)   135

76 Infrared spectrum of the lacquer fiber material   137

77 Infrared spectrum of the fibrous material   137

78 Cattle-shaped haniwa   140

79 Sokyaku rinjomon-shaped haniwa   142

80 Haniwa found in the pit No.17 at the point No.9   145

TABLE

1 Comparison of the four tumuli in the final stage of Kofun period  131

Summary

　This report is the archaeological report of the several tumuli in Narayama hills located in the north of the Nara city and the southern end of the Kyoto prefecture. Those excavations were done in 1972 to 1979 for the gigantic new town development project. Among them four tumuli were excavated, of which two are the most important. One is of the Ishinokarato tumulus that belongs to the final stage of Kofun period i. e. between the later 7th century and the beginning of the 8th century and the other is of the Onjogadani tumulus made in the first half of the 6th century.

　It is well known that the Ishinokarato tumulus has many special features that can be compared to other similar tumuli of the final stage. Especially the Takamatsuzuka tumulus, the Kitora tumulus and the Maruko-yama tumulus are comparable in many structures as for planning, stone compartments and so on. The first two are very famous and focused today by having wall paintings in stone compartments. That kind of painting was newly introduced from the continent as a new mode and so restricted to have. So buried person in each tumulus is supposed to be such a noble person as to be recorded in the ancient historical documents like emperor’s family.

　The Ishinokarato tumulus was made on the border line between Nara prefecture and Kyoto prefecture. So it is also called Kazahahi tumulus by Kyoto side naming. It is located on the rather flat ground from where good eastern and southern views are available but northern and western views are limited. The shape of the mound are so called Joenkahofun in Japanese. It is a mounded tumulus having a dome-shaped knoll on a square base. This kind of tumulus sums up to only three in Japan. The mound is paved by stones and rectangle flat area surrounding the mound is also paved by stones only in western and northern sides.

　Under the mound and on the fringe of the rectangle flat area were set several drainage ditches. They are filled with pebble stones. But supplemental ditches were set after the mound was completed. They are not filled with stones.

　The mound was fundamentally made by the method called Banchiku which needs so many stages to lay the soil steadily. And it also used soil bags to fix the end of each soil layer.

　There is a stone compartment to protect a coffin in the center of the mound. Of course the coffin has been disappeared already. The compartment style is called Yokoguchi type Sekkaku, and also called stone-coffin shaped chamber. The length is 315 centimeters. It doesn’t have any stone corridor to enter nor annex room. So the shape is like a box made by several flat stone plates, but the front plate of the chamber can be set after the corpse and burial goods are put into it.

　The front space of the compartment was used for the aisle to carry the stone plates. It was also used as tomb passage. There we could find the mark of roller rails to carry the heavy materials. And also we could know that the burial rite had been done there by the existence of cobble stone paving and a post hole. After the burial rite soil was laid in front of the compartment by the same method as the mound building. After that whole surface of the mound and outer flat area were paved by stones.

　Regret to say that stone compartment has already been intruded long before possibly in the medieval age and at that time front piece of the ceiling were removed. Intruders possibly stole the grave goods and consequently we could only find the remnants mainly from the filled soil. They are one gold ball, one silver ball, amber beads and silver ornaments of the decorated sward. In addition we could find the very small pieces of gold sheet and lacquer pieces. And one small dish of the earthen Sue ware was found in the fill of the tomb passage.

　The chamber has some features. Firstly the ceiling is made roof-shaped. And the each ceiling plate was stiffly connected to each by rabbit joint. Floor plates are also supposed to be connected similarly as the ceiling. Inner surface has no paintings or mortar. The inner width of the chamber is 103 centimeters.

　By analyzing the data of the excavation, we can propose some important issues.

　It can be said that the scale that is 34. 5 centimeters long was possibly used for the planning and measuring of the mound. Each size of the mound could be read in round numbers of this scale. Total length of the surrounding rectangle area is 600 times of the scale that amounts to 20. 7meters. The mound is 400 times of the scale that amounts to 13. 8 meters and so on. In addition, the outer length of the stone compartment is ten times and the inner width is three times. And each drainage ditch runs along the mesh of ten times of the scale.

　After examining other tumuli, it was revealed that the same scale was used for the Kitora tumulus and possibly for the Maruko-yama tumulus. So we can add a new analogy here between those of the final stage. If lacquer pieces are fragments of wooden coffin ornament, the Takamatu-zuka tumulus is also comparable to the Ishinokarato tumulus. As we forecast before they shared many features and must have been made al most homogeneously.

　Further to say, if the gold ball found in the soil was the coffin or palanquin ornament that was prohibited to use in 721 A. D. by Genmei empress, we can estimate the latest dating of the Ishinokarato tumulus. On the contrary, according to the recent studies of their paintings, the date of those similar tumuli can not be earlier up to the 7th century. So we could say that the Ishinokarato tumulus was made at about the beginning of the 8th century on the northern hinter land of the Heijo palace. We guess the person who was buried here may be the family member of the emperor or empress.

　The Onjogadani tumulus is located on the top of the projected hill of Narayama. Current condition of the mound was generally damaged and the stone chamber was destroyed al most perfectly. So we could not know the original shape of the tumuli before excavation. But after the excavation we could find the linear cutting to separate the mound from the hill the original shape of the mound was made clear to be keyhole-shaped. Keyhole-shaped mounds were made for ancient elites during the 3rd to the 6th centuries. The size of the mound is estimated 22 meters long.

　Stones used for stone chamber were almost removed and grave goods were also stolen. We can hardly know about the original form of the chamber. But remained drainage on the floor of the chamber and the form inferred from the distribution of the removed stones tell us that it is immature corridor-style stone chamber having primitive passage to southern direction. Size of the chamber is about 3.7 meters long and 1.7 meters wide. Burials were done more than twice on the analysis of the Sue ware pottery between the former half of the 6th century and the latter half of the same century. Remnant grave goods are horse ornaments, iron arrows, iron tools, a jasper cylindrical bead and Sue wares.

　Most impressive findings of the Onjogadani tumulus are haniwa figures of so much variation. Mass volume of them was excavated from the linear cutting between the hill and the mound. Horse shaped haniwa were especially the most outstanding among them. One of them has a special riding equipment. The equipment is hanged from the saddle on the right side of the horse to rest rider’s feet. From very limited materials the equipment is thought to be used for female when riding. It can be said that it is the first example that can show us the whole image of that kind of horse. There are four other horses here and of which two could be regained their original forms. We know from their variation that horses were utilized in many ways in the 6th century. Perhaps the variety of the five horses is not outstanding but ordinary for the elites’ tumuli in the 6th century.

　Other than horses, many kinds of animal figures were found. For example, there are cattle which have not been reported more than six until now. And two dogs and one bird are also identified.

　Human figures are not so many. But haniwa representing utensils are al so many and including very rare ones. Among them Sokyaku rinjomon-shaped (i.e. wheel-shaped circle with two ribbon-like projections) haniwa are the most important. The shape can hardly be seen on the wall paintings of the 6th century stone chambers in Kyusyu district.

　Ritual staff-shaped haniwa are of much volume and the size can be divided into two. Small ones were used on the top and edge of the mound. On the contrary, big ones might be used at such the special area where human and animal figures were gathered as the top of square part of the mound. This is the first example to show us their standing patterns.

　This abundant image of minor classed tumuli’s haniwa in Kinki district has not been supposed until today. But now we have to reexamine the similar findings excavated in old times. Today as such as the Imashiro-zuka tumulus for huge tumuli excavations are undergoing as in Osaka prefecture and more abundant haniwa figures are appearing. Until now Kinki district seems to have lost its hegemony in haniwa production in the 6th century, but consequently, we have come to say that Kinki district still had the same big power to the whole Japan in haniwa making as the former 4th and 5th centuries.