Kofun

Kofun (古墳) are earthen tombs or tumuli in Japan. They were constructed between the early 3rd century and early 7th century.

These burial mounds give their name to the Kofun period (middle 3rd century - early-middle 6th century).

Many of the kofun have a keyhole-shaped mound (zenpo-koenfun (前方後円墳)) which is unique to ancient Japan.

• William Gowland, English engineer made the first survey for Saki kofun group
• Ernest Satow, English diplomat wrote about kofun in Kozuke for the Asiatic Society of Japan

• 飛鳥高松塚 (Takamatsuzuka, Asuka), 橿原考古学研究所編, 明日香村, 1972.
• 前方後円墳 (Keyhole-shaped kofun), 上田宏範, 学生社, 東京, 1969.
• 前方後円墳と古代日朝関係 (Keyhole-shaped kofun and diplomatic relations between ancient Japan and Korea), 朝鮮学会編, 東京, 同成社, 2002.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kofun.

• Japanese Archaeology: Kofun Culture
• Kofun Period
• Prehistoric Archaeology of Japan Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine

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