Gunma Prefecture discovers 1,500-year-old Haniwa priestess statue

Archaeologists at the Nishikaminomiya site in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, have discovered a 1,500-year-old clay figure known as a Haniwa. The approximately 40-centimeter tall sculpture, which includes the head and upper body, is believed to represent a Miko, or a Shinto priestess, from the second half of the 5th century.

The figure features several distinctive details, including a traditional Shimada hairstyle, clay bracelets on both wrists, and traces of red pigment on the torso. In her left hand, she holds a slender object that experts suggest may be a ritual staff, though its exact purpose remains unknown. The figurine was recovered from a ditch within the largest burial mound at the site, identified as Tumulus 1, which is roughly 45 meters wide.

Excavations at Nishikaminomiya began in 2020 as part of a study preceding a river construction project. The site contains a large cemetery field along the Tone River, where researchers have identified eleven burial mounds. The Haniwa was likely originally positioned on a platform or atop the mound near a boat-shaped stone sarcophagus before eventually sliding into the ditch over the centuries.