Wakigami Kansuzuka Kofun, Ancient burial mound in Gose, Nara Prefecture, Japan.
The Wakigami Kansuzuka Kofun is a burial mound in Gose with a distinctive keyhole shape formed by a circular section connected to a rectangular platform. The mound is built from packed earth and was carefully constructed to honor the deceased within its chambers.
This structure was built between the 3rd and 6th centuries during the Kofun period, when such mounds served as graves for members of the ruling class. It demonstrates the building techniques and social organization of that era in Japanese history.
The terracotta figures called haniwa discovered here show the artistic skills of the period and reveal how people honored their dead. These clay objects surrounded the grave and reflected the importance of the person buried within.
The site is freely accessible and the paths around the mound allow visitors to grasp its distinctive shape from ground level. It is best to explore the area on foot and take time to appreciate the scale of this ancient monument.
Iron weapons, tools, and ornamental objects were discovered inside the mound, indicating a high-ranking person was buried here. These findings offer rare glimpses into the material culture and craftsmanship of that distant period.
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