A study of political changes in the Kofun period, on specific standards of construction of keyhole-shaped tomb mounds

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We discuss specific standards of construction of large keyhole-shaped tomb mounds and provide their transition series from the early to the middle of Kofun period. Especially the transition series started with Sakurai-Chausuyama Kofun indicate that Yamato dynasty had several powers.We conduct research on the land of the Tamateyama kofun group in the Kawachi area, and geodetic surveying of keyhole-shaped tomb mounds in the Izumi and Harima area. Databases of keyhole-shaped tomb mounds across the country are made up and their digitalization is also developed.Results obtained from these researches show that a successive king updates the standard of his own tomb and local chiefs politically related with the king construct similar tombs with the king's tomb. That is, transition series of Kofun standards demonstrate political relations between Yamato dynasty and local powers. Moreover, clarification of similar tombs is able to point out the specific local power corresponding to the king. In the Kawachi area, effective local powers with keyhole-shaped tombs change over in conjunction with transition from the Oo-yamato Kofun group to the Saki Kofun group, and to the Furuichi Kofun group. The same holds in the Izumi and the Harima area. We conclude that Yamato dynasty does not establish one political power from the early to the middle of Kofun period. Also we estimate that two political changes are occurred, one in the end of the early and the other in the beginning of the middle of Kofun period.