THE ANCIENT BURIAL MOUNDlB OF JAPAN. 519 



it is always interesting to know what the Japanese have to say con 

 cerniug- their ancient monnnients, although all conclusions from this 

 source, even when tliey are established by official sanction, are to be 

 accepted subject to considerable donbt both as to dates and sequence 

 in time. In response to my inquiry, Mr, K. Yamanaouclii very courte- 

 ously replied as follows: 



The clay cylinders, or liauiwa, have their origin abont the year 700* [400 a. d.], an<l 

 .since then they were in constant use till about the year 1600 [940 a, d.] for fortify- 

 ing the loose soils around misasaki and the graves of noted personages. 



The lateral apertures were perhaps made for binders to keep the cylinders firmly 

 in row. 



Most of the clay cylinders have been destroyed, and although no entire form of 

 any one of them can at present be obtained, we can still discover that some of them 

 were made into the forms of men and animals which were used as followers of the 

 illustrious deceased, and buried with such persons. 



The alhtsion to the "forms of men and animals" will be understood 

 as wt^ proceed. 



liefore leaving the imperial tumuli 1 would mention one more, the 

 mound of Shotoku Taishi, This mound contains a chamber which is 

 now closed l)y the temple represented in PI. xlv, the gates of which are 

 kept closed. The base of the mound is surrounded by two concentric 

 rows of u[)right stones, the inner row evidently the older. Each stone 

 of this row bears a Sanskrit character. 



Leaving now the tombs of the emperors we come to simple chambered 

 mounds, which are very numerous in many sections of the country. 

 These mouuds appear as circular heaps, freqnently among cultivated 

 fields, covered with trees. PI. XLvr shows two mounds near the tumulns 

 of OJin Tenno. These are quite large. A famous place for chambered 

 mounds is near Hatori-gawa where the view represented on PI, xlvii 

 was taken. In this may be seen four distinct hillocks on the hillside, and 

 many others are scattered abont on every hand. These mounds all 

 contain rock chambers, usnally built of rough unhewn stones, some of 

 them of immense size. Long entrance passages, through which one nmy 

 walk upright for 30 or 40 f(»et or more, sometimes lead to the chambers, 

 in which there may or may not be one, rarely two, stone coffins. 



Mr. Oowlandhas recently discovered chambers in mounds in Idzumo 

 nuule of cut stones carefnlly fitted together, in which were stone coffins 

 ot excellent workmanship. The coffins there have large openings in 

 the sides, the object of which is not nnderstood. 



When the covering of earth is removed from the buried chambers it 

 is found that the chambers open through the passages, usually to the 

 south. The earth has 1)een washed away from many such mounds, 

 leaving the rocks exposed. In IM, xlviii, from Hatori-gawa, we see the 

 entrances to four such chambers. The large mound in front shows the 

 dolmen structure well. 



"The dates given are the years of the Japanese Empire, counting from 660 b. c, 

 when the first Emperor ascended the throne. The reader is cautioned not to place 

 unich dependence upon these dates. 



