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Material sources of stone chamber elements and the burial mound of the Shobuzako Kofun, Okayama Prefecture, western Japan

Hidetaka Bessho (Higashi-Osaka City Konoike-shinden Museum)
Takehiko Matsugi (Okayama University)

Abstract

In this paper I explore material sources of architectural remains recovered from the stone chamber and the mound of the Shobuzako Kofun using geoarchaeological techniques. The Shobuzako Kofun is a scallop-shaped tomb set on a low rolling hill dating to the 5th century AD. The sidewall stone blocks and ceiling stones of the stone chamber are granite, while the floor is composed of rounded river gravel. The mound consists of an artificial lower reddish-brown stratum and an upper yellowish-white stratum. It is believed that these were locally procured because they match materials investigated from nearby outcrops. In addition, alternating beds of disturbed soil and mud rip-up clast layers were observed in cross-section and soft X-ray photos of the mound. These data suggest that the burial mound was carefully piled up. We believe that the application of geoarchaeological techniques in tomb survey will contribute to mortuary research in the future.