<Articles>One Aspect of Ancient Japan seen from the Imported Mirrors

Higuchi Takayasu

doi:10.14989/shirin_43_673

Among the imported Chinese mirrors found in Japan, the most important groups are the gods-and-amimals-designed and these are divided mainly into tws types : type A has a pointed rim and a saw toothed band, which is of Wei 魏 origin in the three Kingdoms periods and type B has a flat rim and a figured design band, which is of southern China origin, dominant from the end of the eastern Han 東漢 dynasty to Wu 呉 and Chin 晋 dynasties. In Japan, type A was mostly found in the ancient tumuli of the earlier stage situated widely in the northern Kyûshû 北九州, Setouchi 瀬戸内, Kinki 近畿 and Tôgoku 東国, and type B was generally discovered from one stage later tombs, in the southern Kyûshû 南九州 and Honshû. Namely, in Kyûshû 九州 these two types were never excavated together, while in other regions, both of them also came together in some cases. For this fact an interpretation is as follows : in the third century the trade with the northern China was carried on by way of the northern Kyûsyû and Korea when type A came into Japan : in the fourth century, when the northern China was disunited and the Han 漢 style culture moved into the southern China, and so the trade with the northern China was off and the trade with the southern China was dominant, type B came into Japan, at the time of which powerful clans in the southern Kyûshû, in place of the northern Kyûshû, were active, anticipating the public missionaries of the Yamato 大和 dynasty. Therefore, in Kyûshû 九州 both of the types seldom came together, but in another districts except Kyûshû descendants of the same clans with that had imported type A accepted type B, and so both types came together in some cases. These archaeological phenomena show the historical background against which the rebellion of Kumaso 熊襲 was burst out and also the eastward conquest by Jimnu 神武 started here in this southern part of Kyûshû.

<Articles>One Aspect of Ancient Japan seen from the Imported Mirrors

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