Kiusu Earthwork Burial Circles, Prehistoric burial circles in Chitose, Japan.
The Kiusu Earthwork consists of nine circular burial structures, with the largest reaching 83 meters across and 4.7 meters deep. The graves were created by digging pits and piling excavated soil to form earthen rings.
The burial circles were built around 1200 BCE during the late Jomon period. This era marks a time when northern Japanese communities had developed organized methods for honoring their dead.
The burial circles reveal how the Jomon people organized their funeral practices with special materials and stone arrangements. These choices tell us about their beliefs and how different groups were honored in death.
The site is open to visitors daily with walkways that let you explore the burial rings at your own pace. Allow enough time to visit all nine structures and appreciate how they are spaced across the grounds.
The burial rings were shaped to limit sight lines and create separate zones for communal burials. This design choice shows the builders understood how to use space for ritual purposes in a sophisticated way.
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