A type of tomb made in the Tumulus period, also
called Kofun period. A pit was dug and lined with cut stone
such that the flat side of the stone faced the interior. All four vertical surfaces
were lined in order to hold back the earth. These stones can be thought of as
strengthening pilings, hikaezumi TÏ. Some pits are up to 7m long. The wooden
coffin was set directly on the clay floor and over time decayed to leave a concave
depression which revealed the coffin's dimensions. A ceiling stone was affixed
atop the entire pit. Over millennia, natural ground pressure pushed the wall stones
inward. Many have been excavated revealing these conditions. Example: Tateanashiki
sekishitsu, Chausuyama Kofun ’ƒ‰PŽRŒÃ• in Nara. |