ancient history Archives -

Ancient figurines (i.e. Haniwa) surround Shoufutago Kofun in Gunma, Japan – 小二子古墳

This is another kofun found within Omuro Park (大室公園) in Maebashi, Gunma.

Although it's small for a keyhole kofun (in Japanese 前方後円墳 Zenpōkōenfun) at 38m, the abundance and variety of haniwa (the statues) make this one of the better kofun I've seen. Yes the haniwa are replicas, but they are arranged in the kind of way that they would have been all those 1500 years ago. Very cool.

More info here :

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Q: What am I watching here ?

A: You are watching footage of a "kofun/古墳" – kofun are tombs in Japan that were created during the Kofun Period (roughly between the 3rd and 7th Century AD) – this era was preceded by the Jomon and Yayoi periods, and followed by Asuka, Nara and so on. These tombs were built as burial chambers for people from Japanese imperial families and other people of higher status in society during those days. The most well-known and generally largest tombs are found around Kyoto and Osaka, but they are found all over Kansai, Kanto, Tohoku etc., and even in other parts of Japan such as Shikoku and Kyushu. Figures vary greatly, but some sources state there are over 160000 thousand of these kofun in Japan. At times you will see haniwa on and around kofun – haniwa are terracotta figures which were made in various shapes, including being formed as people and animals.
Have a read of the the Wikipedia article for more information :

I also have a Facebook page where I post these videos. Feel free to contact me via that page if you want to connect regarding anything about kofun, particularly their promotion to tourists to Japan. Ideally I'd like to build a kofun appreciation community of sorts, but that is just a dream right now –

Ancient Greek Pottery: History, Development and Designs

27 Comments / Greek Ceramics / admin

Ancient Greek pottery was for practical use, so once physical shapes of different types of pottery had been perfected for a particular purpose, the shape was maintained and copied. Greek pottery was crafted in a bunch of different shapes and sizes, and all had specific functions and were used in specific circumstances from the symposium, which was an all-male drinking party, to domestic uses, storage, transportation, and rituals. Often, the intended usage of the pottery was made clear in the decoration.

Nothing can tell us more about the cultural beliefs, practices, and even daily life of the ancient Greeks than the surviving pottery. We have tens of thousands of pots and fragments surviving from Ancient Greece, and it’s just lucky for us that treasure hunters saw no value in Ancient Greek pottery, so it was often left alone when burials or tombs were robbed. Ancient Greek pottery has survived in many, many distinct forms, which all would have had specific functions in the daily life of Greece, and although these pieces of pottery may be sitting in glass boxes now, in their heyday, they would have been used regularly. Not only have decorations painted on the surviving pottery given modern-day scholars invaluable insight into cultural and religious beliefs and practices, but have been super helpful in determining a chronology for ancient Greece. So, what did the ancient Greeks use their pottery for, what were they decorated with, and who were the people who made them?

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Flaroh Illustration
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— CHAPTERS —
0:00 Introduction
0:53 Introduction to Ancient Greek Pottery
2:06 Different Forms and Functions
7:19 Techniques and Designs
9:08 Proto-Geometric and Geometric Pottery
10:41 Black-Figure Pottery
11:35 Red-Figure Pottery
12:17 Potters and Painters
14:17 Outro

— WANT TO KNOW MORE? —
Ancient Greek Pottery
A Visual Glossary of Greek Pottery
Black-Figure Pottery worldhistory.org/Black_Figure_Pottery/
Red-Figure Pottery
Amphora
Greek Vases: Names, Shapes and Functions
Making and Decorating Athenian Black and Red-Figure Vases
Pottery in Antiquity
Firing Athenian Black and Red-Figure Vases

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Origin and History of the Ancient Olympic Games
Ancient Medicine, Healing and Physicians in Antiquity
The History of Philosophy: Origins of Ancient Philosophy Around the Globe
7 Surprising Stories from Herodotus' Histories

— ATTRIBUTIONS —
You can find all attribution and credits for images, animations, graphics and music here –

The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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World History Encyclopedia
www.worldhistory.org

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