MAEBASHI, Gunma Pref. -- A circular burial mound dating back to the latter half of the fifth century has been discovered nearly intact in the village of Komochi, Gunma Prefecture.
Forty-five "haniwa" clay figures found arranged in a circle measuring roughly 8 meters in diameter near the top of the Asada No. 3 mound at Nakago in Komochi. A stone chamber also was discovered.
The Komochi Village board of education said that it is rare for an ancient mound to be discovered nearly intact and that the discovery is expected to contribute to learning how the dead were buried in the sixth century.
The mound had been covered with a layer of pumiceous stones from an eruption of Mount Haruna in the mid-sixth century.
The layer, which was more than 1 meter deep, is believed to have helped keep the mound preserved in its original form, said Kunio Ota, a researcher with the board of education.
The mound is about 20 meters in diameter and about 2.5 meters tall.
Among the 45 haniwa pieces near the top, four of them -- all about 50 to 60 cm tall -- are in the shape of a morning glory, showing the directions of east, west, north and south. Another haniwa in the shape of a fowl shows the direction of west.
Most haniwa, which are cylindrical, are about 40 cm tall.
The board of education began excavation work in January and has found six mounds.