Sasaki - Kofun social stratification

Social Stratification in the Kofun Period

The Kofun period (ca. middle 3rd to early 7th centuries AD) in protohistoric Japan is marked by significant social stratification.
The Nara Basin likely hosted a central polity that interacted with various regional societies.
A three-tiered elite class emerged, consisting of a dominant elite and a class of commoners.

Mortuary practices during this period provide key insights into social organization.
Archaeologists often rely on mortuary evidence despite potential distortions in reflecting current social structures.
Key elements from mortuary archaeology include:
- Size and shape of mounded tombs.
- Quantity and quality of funerary offerings.
- Correlation between tomb size and types of prestige items.

TSUDE Hiroshi’s influential paper published in 1991 argues for Kofun-period society being an early state exhibiting characteristics such as:
- Social stratification under a ruler.
- A taxation system due to resource surplus.
- A central polity with substantial authority.
- Indirect control of local regions by elite figures.
- Stratified trade networks and a tribute system.
Debate over the applicability of concepts like 'chiefdom' developed in neo-evolutionary anthropology.

Development of social ranking is evident through mortuary customs.
Evidence suggests a possible three-tiered social hierarchy within the elite class based on:
- Size of keyhole-shaped mounded tombs.
- Quantity of bronze mirrors buried with the dead.
For example, in the southeastern Nara Basin:
- Top Rank: Keyhole-shaped mounds > 200m, many bronze mirrors.
- Second Rank: Keyhole-shaped mounds 100-150m.
- Lowest Rank: Circular or square mounded tombs.
The burial of higher-status individuals is associated with greater quantities of funerary goods, like bronze mirrors.

The conceptual framework of center-periphery relationships was key to understanding interactions between the central polity and local elites.
Local polities exhibited variations in the regional degree of social stratification and ranking systems.
These dynamics reflect both political authority and regional autonomy.

A more complex social stratification emerged, with the construction of larger keyhole-shaped tombs and satellite tombs.
Increasing differentiation among the elite was evidenced by:
- Differences in burial goods (e.g., iron armor as a status symbol).
- Evidence of military organization and bureaucracies, indicated through specialized burial practices.
Excavations indicate heightened complexity with administrative functions linked to burial practices.

Structural changes in society were witnessed, including the proliferation of circular mounded tombs, including their decline and the emergence of new burial methods.
Key characteristics of this time include:
- Emergence of corridor-style burial chambers and their distinct social significance.
- The further decline of keyhole-shaped mounded tombs within the central polity, with local elites starting to assert their own hierarchical identities.
- The introduction of horse-riding practices and accompanying burial practices emerging as a new elite symbol.
By the end of this period, social stratification was increasingly reflected in material culture, reducing reliance on monumental mound construction.

Throughout the Kofun period, Japan's societal complexities grew, characterized by changes in burial customs, material culture, and the objects placed within tombs.
The transition from a more overt reliance on mounded tombs to a complex interplay of tomb types and associated goods marks an evolution in social stratification and local identities under the influence of a central polity.