“A thousand mounds”: original sites of ancient Japan and Korea (materials for educational course “Archaeology of foreign Asia”)

Purpose. The term kofungun is used in Japan for the mounded tomb groups of the Kofun Period (3rd - 4th centuries), which corresponds to the concept of a burial mound complex. Packed tumuli clusters or senzuka-type burial mound groups are located mainly in the central part of Honshu Island. Similar burial grounds are also known in the South of the Korean Peninsula. This theme is associated with the importance that cultural contacts of island and continental population and their cultural traditions bring to the development of the region as a whole, and Japan and Korea separately. The aim of the research is to study groups of senzuka-type mounded burial groups in Japan and their analogies in Korea. Results. Packed tumuli clusters of Late Kofun are generally located in the center of Honshu Island. Common findings include sue and haji ware, armors and weapons, ornaments. Among the grave goods, a fairly noticeable number of items of Korean origin are found. Some parts of packed tumuli clusters are considered to belong to immigrant clans. Ceramic rice-cookers and Korean-type armors and weapons can often be found in such mounded tombs. Senzuka-type tumuli clusters found on the Korean Peninsula are located in the territory of the ancient Gaya state. The findings include hard ceramic pots, armors and weapons, ornaments, and so on. The Marisan tumuli cluster contains a special type of findings: some mounded tombs were decorated with ceramic figures similar to the Japanese haniwa. Conclusion. The appearance of large sized mounded tombs, surrounded by many small ones in the second half of the Kofun Period, may indicate the emergence of a broad social support of the ruling elite. The presence of items made on the territory of the Japanese islands using Korean technologies among the grave goods allows us to assume the resettlement of artisans from the Korean Peninsula to the Japanese islands. The materials of this research could be useful for students studying archaeology of East Asia.