A 1,500-year-old clay statue in Japan may depict a priestess, revealing clues about ancient burial rituals. Archaeologists investigate an ancient Japanese burial mound, illustrating the archaeological context of the discovery in Gunma Prefecture. Credit: Jhoan Baron / ColombiaOne (AI-generated picture). For editorial use only.
Archaeologists in Japan have recovered a clay statue of a woman who may have served as a priestess about 1,500 years ago. The discovery offers a rare glimpse into how ancient Japanese communities honored their dead.
The figure, called a haniwa (a hollow clay sculpture placed on or around burial mounds), was unearthed this year at Nishikaminomiya, a site in Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo. Archaeological teams have been working there since 2020 ahead of a river improvement project along the Tone River.
The statue dates to the second half of the fifth century and stands about 40 centimeters (16 inches) tall. Only its head and torso survive, suggesting that the original figure was much larger. Archaeologists found it lying in the moat surrounding the site’s largest burial mound, a circular tomb roughly 45 meters (145 feet) across. Researchers believe it slipped from the top of the mound over the centuries.
Experts say the figure represents a miko, or shrine maiden, a woman who in Shinto, Japan’s native spiritual tradition, serves as a link between the human world and the world of spirits. The discovery adds a human dimension to a period known largely through its monumental tombs and offers clues about why researchers interpret the statue as a priestess.
How researchers read the statue
The clues lie in the figure’s details, beginning with her hairstyle. She wears a topknot called a shimada, which experts associate with shrine maidens of the Kofun period (about 300 to 710 A.D.), an era named for its burial mounds. Both wrists bear bracelets made from clay and red pigment. Her fingers are carefully modeled, and a red sash crosses her torso.
In her left hand, she holds a rod-shaped object that archaeologists interpret as a ritual tool. Together, these features suggest that the figure represents a woman who took part in ceremonies. Representatives of Gunma Prefecture’s government noted that the makers took great care with details that visitors would not have been able to see from a distance, suggesting that the community placed considerable value on the figure.
The statue’s position also offers clues about its original placement. Archaeologists believe it once stood near a boat-shaped sarcophagus found in the mound before falling down the slope over time. Researchers had initially described the main mound as a simple circle, but the 2026 excavations revealed a projecting section on its southern side, where the figure may have stood. This finding has changed how they interpret the monument.
Why haniwa matter
Haniwa appeared around the third century and spread across Japan during the Kofun period, when powerful families built enormous mounds to bury their leaders. The sculptures took many forms, including human figures, and were placed on and around tombs as offerings to the dead.
Many experts believe the figures were thought to contain the souls of the dead, giving the monuments a spiritual purpose beyond their physical scale. The possible depiction of a priestess is significant in this context because miko, according to Live Science, performed important funeral rituals and offered spiritual guidance. The statue may therefore provide evidence of women’s religious roles during the period.
Reports differ on where visitors can see the statue. Live Science identifies an excavation museum in Shibukawa, while another report places it at the Gunma Prefectural Museum of History. Travelers should check with the institutions before visiting. Excavation work at Nishikaminomiya has ended, and the statue is expected to remain on public display, allowing visitors to examine its red sash and carefully modeled hands and learn more about the ritual practices it may represent.