Archaeologists excavating Nishikaminomiya, northwest of Tokyo, Japan, have unearthed a clay figure that may represent a female spiritual leader guarding a tomb. The discovery comes from a fifth-century burial mound at a site containing nearly a dozen mounds dating to the fifth and sixth centuries.
Only the head and torso survive, measuring approximately 16 inches in height; the complete sculpture would have been substantially larger. It was recovered from a moat surrounding a mound roughly 145 feet in diameter. Archaeologists suspect it originally stood near a boat-shaped coffin discovered within the mound and gradually slipped downhill into the moat.
The figure's traditional topknot supports its identification as a female religious practitioner associated with Shinto. These women served as intermediaries between the human and spiritual worlds, conducting important funeral rituals and offering spiritual guidance. Clay sculptures placed at tombs during this period served as offerings to the dead and were often believed to hold their souls.
The sculpture features a prominent nose, carefully modeled fingers, and clay bracelets decorated with red pigment on both wrists. A red sash is painted across its torso, while its left hand grips a rod-shaped ritual object. Government representatives noted the craftsmanship evident even in details that would have been difficult to distinguish from a distance.
The discovery occurred during excavation of the site's main burial mound, although archaeological work there has continued since 2020. The figure is currently exhibited at the Gunma Prefectural Archaeological Research Center's Excavation Information Museum in Shibukawa.
