Grave Goods from the Last Tombs of Northern Honshu
The Items Excavated from the Tangotai Tumulus Group, Aomori Prefecture (青森県丹後平古墳群出土品, Aomori-ken Tangotai Kofungun Shutsudohin) are a set of Asuka- to early Heian-period finds from the Tangotai tumulus group in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, which in 2018 were designated an Important Cultural Property.
Cultural Heritage Online records them as archaeological materials, one set, owned by Hachinohe City and kept at the Hachinohe City Museum, which says 195 items were designated.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes them as finds from the terminal-phase tombs of northern Tohoku, a region then outside the ritsuryo state.
The Tangotai Tumulus Group
The Tangotai Tumulus Group itself is separately a Historic Site. The Agency describes about 100 tombs built from the late seventh to the early eighth century on gentle hills south of the Mabechi River.
The tombs were found within a new town development, and after major discoveries in excavations in fiscal 1987 and 1988 the plans were changed to preserve a core area of about 7,000 square metres. The 29 fully excavated tombs are all round mounds 4 to 9 metres across.
The Agency explains that burial mounds had not spread to northern Tohoku by the sixth century, but from the late seventh century, as the state pressed north, local leaders adopted the burial customs of the south and built groups of small tombs.
What to Look For
The Agency singles out a brass sword pommel with a lion-mask motif inside a triple ring, unparalleled and finely made with inlay and gilding. The Historic Site description adds that this pommel, from Tomb 15, combines two ring-pommel types in a way seen nowhere else and is thought to have been made on the Korean Peninsula in the first half to middle of the sixth century.
Warabite swords with curled hilts, square-pommelled swords and large numbers of varied beads are typical grave goods of these tombs. Pots with their bases deliberately broken out record ritual practice.
That a finely made sword fitting probably from Korea and the distinctive warabite swords of northern Tohoku come from the same tomb group, near the northern tip of Honshu, is what makes these finds remarkable.
Seeing the Tangotai Finds
The Hachinohe City Museum says its permanent galleries have been closed for renovation since 6 October 2024, with reopening planned in fiscal 2027.
Conservation of the finds is also under way. Check the latest display information with the Hachinohe City Museum, 0178-44-8111.
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Q&A
- When were the Items Excavated from the Tangotai Tumulus Group designated?
- They were designated an Important Cultural Property on 31 October 2018.
- How many items from the Tangotai Tumulus Group are designated?
- 195, according to the Hachinohe City Museum.
- What are the highlights of the Tangotai finds?
- A lion-mask triple-ring sword pommel probably made in Korea, warabite and square-pommelled swords, and many beads.
- What are terminal-phase tombs?
- Groups of small round tombs built in northern Tohoku from the late seventh century, in a region outside the ritsuryo state.
- Can I see the Tangotai finds now?
- The Hachinohe City Museum's permanent galleries are closed for renovation from 6 October 2024 until a planned reopening in fiscal 2027.
Basic Information
| Name | Items Excavated from the Tangotai Tumulus Group, Aomori Prefecture (青森県丹後平古墳群出土品) |
|---|---|
| Location | Hachinohe City Museum, 35-1 Higashigamae, Nejo, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (archaeological materials) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2018/10/31 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | One set (195 items) |
| Dimensions | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Owner | Hachinohe City |
| Public Access | Permanent display suspended until fiscal 2027 |
References
- Cultural Heritage Online: Items from the Tangotai Tumulus Group (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/442713
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Tangotai Tumulus Group (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/401/3207
- Cultural Heritage Online: Tangotai Tumulus Group (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/218149
- Hachinohe City Museum: Tangotai and Kushibiki Finds (Japanese)
- https://hachinohe-city-museum.jp/cultural_tango/
Last verified: 2026.09.28