Third Thursday Lecture: Kofun after the Kofun Period: biographies of ancient burial mounds in Japan
20 September 2012, Norwich
Dr Akira Matsuda Lecturer in Japanese Artistic Heritage, School of World Art and Museology, University of East Anglia and Academic Associate, Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures
ABOUT THE LECTURE There are approximately 160,000 identified kofun, or ancient burial mounds built from the 3rd to the first half of the 7th century CE (Kofun period), in Japan. The archaeology of kofun is often considered a key to understanding state formation in Japan and large numbers of Japanese archaeologists specialise in their study. While it may seem natural that archaeologists studying kofun are interested in how they were ‘originally’ built and functioned, far less attention has been given to what happened to these mounds after the Kofun period, with the exception of some considered to be the final resting places of Emperors. This talk takes a biography approach to several examples of kofun and examines how they were perceived, understood and used in various ways from the post-Kofun period to the very recent past.
To avoid disappointment you are advised to reserve a seat by contacting the Institute, stating your name, the number of seats required and a contact telephone number or e-mail address.
ENTRY CANNOT BE GUARANTEED AFTER 6.00PM. We regret that there is no parking available in The Close.
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