The ancient tombs of Japan are known to have stunning architecture. According to a new study, most of the oldest burial grounds in the country have tombs placed in a uniform alignment. The arrangements were purposely designed for the graves to face where the sun rises.
Like other countries, Japan holds many archeological clues that date back to their ancient civilizations. With the discovery of antiquity, burial grounds are always found to hold relics and hints of the past. In Japan, ancient burial mounds are everywhere. The largest group of these tombs, called Kofun has a structure inspired by the shape of a keyhole.
Unexplored History of Japan Buried Beneath 'Kofuns'
The Japanese burial mounds occupy a large piece of land across many prefectures. Although it scales to 1,600 feet in length, almost all of the Kofuns are untouched due to preservation reasons. In addition, few records could explain why and how the mounds exist in the first place.
The restriction of excavation processes complicates the subject even more. The limiting factors may even forbid studies to uncover the history buried on the Kofuns. With that said, experts tried to come up with a solution to examine the gigantic Japanese keyholes without using any invasive approach.
The Polytechnic University of Milan conducted one of the most comprehensive studies to examine the depths of the Japanese mounds through an advanced satellite imaging technique. According to a report by DailyMail, the authors found a significant relationship between the burial monuments. High-definition photographs revealed that the keyholes are purposely oriented to face the arc of the rising sun.
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The experts explained that it was intentionally designed due to the deep culture that goes back to the age of imperial Japan. The ancient tradition heavily relies on the mythical origin of the first dynasties, which they believe are direct descendants of the sun goddess Amaterasu.
The Japanese monuments were built between the third and seventh century AD. Most of the mounds at the time, were believed to be created exclusively for influential people, including semi-legendary emperors. Meanwhile, the smaller mounds are for the individuals who have authority under the rulers, including the first families and imperial officials.
The Daisen Kofun is the largest burial mound ever discovered in Japan. It exceeds a thousand feet in size. The tomb may also be the biggest mound ever to exist on the planet. The Daisen Kofun was dedicated to the late Nintoku, the 16th emperor of the country. The mound, along with other tombs, is currently listed under the UNESCO world heritage.
Throughout the investigation, the authors captured satellite images from over 100 Kofuns. The corridors of the Kofuns are designed with an entrance that is directed straight to the arc in the sky where both the sun and moon are consistently visible on any day of the year. The Daisen Kofun is unique due to its orientation exclusively directed to the sun, even during the winter solstice. The paper was published in the journal Remote Sensing, titled "The Orientation of the Kofun Tombs."
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