Kiusu Earthwork Burial Circles
Kiusu Doubutsu · Kiusu Shuko Bochi Gun
Final Jomon 1200–800 BCE·Jomon Final Hokkaido·🇯🇵 Hokkaido, Chitose City, Kiusu hill on Ushiku River terrace, eastern suburbs of Chitose, Japan
Wikipedia contributors · CC (see file page)
About
About Kiusu Earthwork Burial Circles
Late Jomon collective burial banked circles (1200–800 BCE) on terrace above Ushiku River at Chitose — 9 embanked circular enclosures diameter 12–75 m built of external ditch and internal bank housing central stone paving and collective pits with commingled human bone, red ochre and grave lacquerware. Kiusu 2 (75 m) is Japan's largest earthwork burial circle; UNESCO 2021 component 1632-015 demonstrates Late Jomon circular earthwork tradition unique to Hokkaido.
Why it mattersLargest Jomon earthwork burial demonstrates Final Jomon collective burial intensification before Yayoi; ochre and lacquer preservation unique.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01How many individuals per 75 m circle — 10 or 100?
Theories
- 01Hokkaido–Tohoku dichotomy: earth vs stone circles
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.1200–800 BCE Final Jomon
- Period
- Final Jomon 1200–800 BCE
- Culture
- Jomon Final Hokkaido
- Builders
- Jomon Hokkaido burial communities
- Purpose
- Collective ancestors' banked cemetery with ochre and lacquer ritual
- Abandoned
- c.800 BCE with Yayoi intrusion
- Rediscovered
- 1972 housing construction survey; excavated 1979–
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.1200 BCE
First small 12 m banked circles dug
c.1000 BCE
Great Kiusu 2 75 m circle built with ditch 2 m deep
On the ground
Structures & features
42.8860° N · 141.7170° E · 30 m · 1 mapped feature
Gallery