Photo/Illutration A shield-shaped "haniwa" clay figure, left, and a house-shaped haniwa are shown in Tondabayashi, Osaka Prefecture. (Toshiharu Morishima)

TONDABAYASHI, Osaka Prefecture--In a rare find, researchers unearthed various “haniwa” (clay figures) in the shapes of humans, animals and houses from a newly discovered kofun burial mound dating to the late fifth century here.

The Tondabayashi Board of Education announced on May 1 that 17 figurines of at least seven types had been found. It is rare for so many types and pieces of haniwa from that ancient time to be discovered.

“A powerful person who ruled the Minami-Kawachi area is believed to be buried there, given the size of the tomb,” said a board official. “This person could have obtained information on the shapes and usage of haniwa from people close to the kingship, suggesting the person had such connections.”

The large keyhole-shaped tomb mound, which is around 20 meters in length, was discovered after artifacts were found in a survey conducted in October 2021 for a land development project.

Researchers unearthed more than 1,000 pieces of the clay from ditches surrounding the mound and have been working to restore the haniwa. 

Many of them are believed to be a cylindrical shape, but there were also six human figures that included shrine maidens and warriors, as well as horses, birds, houses, shields, “kinugasa” (an umbrella for nobles) and “yugi” (quivers carried on the back). 

Among them was a rare figure believed to be someone playing a “koto” (Japanese harp).

“The unearthed haniwa are believed to be a simplified reflection of haniwa rituals of a king’s tomb at that time,” said Katsuhisa Takahashi, a professor of archaeology at Hanazono University. 

“Since there are several human-shaped haniwa, I imagine the haniwa were used to re-create the ritual-like scene in which shrine maidens made offerings to a king,” he said. 

Processed tuff and ironware that may have been burial accessories were also unearthed, suggesting the kofun might have had a horizontal stone chamber. 

The discovered mound is expected to be named “Ukigasawa Kofun.” 

It is near a UNESCO World Heritage site called the Furuichi Kofun Group, where many large keyhole-shaped tomb mounds exceeding 200 meters in length are concentrated. 

The tomb mounds date from the late fourth to the late fifth centuries and are located in the cities of Habikino and Fujiidera in the prefecture. 

This is not the first time that so many haniwa have been discovered.

About 200 haniwa were found in the Imashirozuka Kofun, also known as the “true mausoleum of Emperor Keitai,” in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture. The tomb is thought to date to the first half of the sixth century.

“The latest discovery could lead to a confirmation that a large group of haniwa, similar to those found in the Imashirozuka Kofun, had already existed at the time of the Furuichi Kofun Group,” Takahashi said. 

The unearthed haniwa will be displayed to the public at the Kirameki Factory, a tourism exchange facility, in Tondabayashi from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on May 7.

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