Cylindrical coffin - Entoukan

A special cylindrical coffin made of unglazed clay similar to a cylindrical haniwa (clay figure). It is buried horizontally. Cylindrical haniwa and some figurative haniwa that have been repurposed into coffins are called "haniwa coffins" to distinguish them from the two. They are found mainly in the 5th century. Cylindrical coffins can be the central burial facility of a tumulus, or a secondary burial facility, and there are also known examples where they are clustered on hillsides. Haniwa coffins are rarely used as central burial facilities, and are found on the middle or foot of a tumulus, at the bottom of a moat, or around a surrounding bank. Some grave goods are found in cylindrical coffins, but almost none in haniwa coffins.

[Hirofumi Hashimoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

円筒埴輪(はにわ)に似た土製素焼の円筒形特製棺。水平に埋置する。円筒埴輪や一部の形象埴輪などを棺に転用したものを「埴輪棺」とよんで両者を区別する。5世紀代を中心に散見される。円筒棺は古墳の中心埋葬施設、ないしはそれに次ぐ埋葬施設になることがあり、また丘陵部に群在する例も知られている。埴輪棺は中心埋葬施設になることはほとんどなく、墳丘の中腹や、裾(すそ)、周濠(しゅうごう)底、周堤などで確認される。副葬品は円筒棺にいくらかみられるが、埴輪棺では皆無に近い。

［橋本博文］

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