Stone mound - Tsumiishizuka

A type of burial system from the Kofun period. In contrast to burial mounds built with piled-up earth, burial mounds built by piling up stones are called stone mounds or ishizuka. They are also called cairns and are found all over the world. Most of them are circular, but there are also square, keyhole-shaped, and medium-circular tumuli. In Japan, they are found in Kyushu, Chugoku, Shikoku, Tokai, Chubu, and Kanto regions, and their distribution varies by region. There are two periods of stone mounds in western Japan: early and middle Kofun periods from the 4th to 5th centuries and those built in the late 6th and 7th centuries, while in eastern Japan they were built from the middle and late periods to the end of the Kofun period. There are two theories about the origin of stone mounds: one is that they were introduced from the Korean peninsula, and the other is that they were created due to differences in location and environment, where stone materials were easily available. Famous ones include the Omuro Tomb Group in Nagano Prefecture, the Yokone Tomb Group in Yamanashi Prefecture, the Hatagashirayama Tomb Group in Aichi Prefecture, the Iwaseoyama Tomb Group in Kagawa Prefecture, and the Mishima G-Combo Tomb Group in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

[Hatsue Otsuka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古墳時代の墓制の一種。盛土(もりつち)で墳丘を築く古墳に対し、石を積み上げて墳丘を構築する古墳を積石塚または石塚とよぶ。またケルンcairnともいい、世界各地に分布する。墳丘形態は円墳が多いが、方墳、前方後円墳、双方中円墳もみられる。わが国では九州、中国、四国、東海、中部、関東の各地方に及び、地方によって分布に濃淡の差がある。西日本の積石塚には4世紀から5世紀に属する前・中期古墳と、6、7世紀の後期に造営されたものの2時期があり、東日本では中・後期から終末期にかけて築造されている。積石塚の生成は朝鮮半島の墓制の渡来とする説と、石材の容易に入手しうる立地環境の差から生ずるとする説がある。長野県大室(おおむろ)古墳群、山梨県横根(よこね)古墳群、愛知県旗頭山(はたがしらやま)古墳群、香川県石清尾山(いわせおやま)古墳群、山口県見島(みしま)ジーコンボ古墳群が有名である。

［大塚初重］

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