vol.21 (2025)
HASHIMOTO Yuto Japanese History,
Key words: sutra case, outer container, sutra container, sutra mound, Kinki region, regionality, hierarchy, chronology The Kinki region has a high concentration of sutra mounds which have long been the subject of research. Although the focus of traditional sutra mound research has been on bronze sutra cases and inscriptions, there are many sutra mounds that have been disturbed or looted and the original appearance of the sites cannot be determined. There are sutra mounds where ceramic or earthenware vessels have been excavated, but bronze items have not been found. This paper focuses on ceramic and earthenware sutra vessels and seeks to clarify the construction and positioning of sutra mounds. The study focuses on elucidating three points: regional, timing, and hierarchical differences. Research on the distribution trends by material confirmed that there are differences in distribution trends between the Yamashiro and Ise areas, where ceramic sutra vessels were mainly used. The study also reconfirmed the previously noted regional trends in the Harima area and the Tango area; the former is known to have abundant Sue ware, and the latter earthenware. Ceramic sutra vessels, tiled sutra vessels, and stone sutra vessels were then considered. The ceramic sutra vessels were classified according to their morphology to determine the respective attributes, which confirmed that the height of the vessel and the shape of the mouth rim reflect the characteristics of the period. In examining the changes in the temporal characteristics, the author clarified the changes in vessel shape by numerically analyzing the differences between the diameter of the vessel mouth and the largest diameter and between the diameter of the vessel base and largest diameter of the vessel that has period inscriptions. The comparison with ceramics revealed that some tiled sutra vessels, which have been regarded as crude products, can be regarded as fine products made by tile workers. The study addressed the production techniques of earthenware and tile workers. The author also points out that a group of refined vessels may have been used around Kyoto, as their places of origin are concentrated around the Yamashiro and Kii areas. Furthermore, a group of refined vessels were found to have been used as sutra cases, which confirmed that the tiled sutra vessels were imitations of bronze outer containers, which was pointed out by an earlier researcher. This paper presents the chronology of ceramic and tiled sutra vessels according to the area of consumption and the positioning of each vessel, including hierarchical differences. Examination of regional characteristics revealed that Ise has its own unique regional characteristics. Sutra mounds in the Kinki region can be divided into four regions: the Miyako-area, the Ise-area, the Banshu-area, and the Santan-area. The above research has made it possible to determine the conditions of construction and positioning of sites based on ceramic and earthenware sutra vessels. | |||||
