Tenri Municipal Kurozuka Tumulus Museum (天理市立黒塚古墳展示館)
Tenri Municipal Kurozuka Tumulus Museum is a museum in Tenri City, Nara Prefecture. It opened in October 12, 2002.
Summary
In 1998, a national record of 33 Sankakubuchi Shinjukyo Mirror (a round mirror with raised edge and relief engraving of animals and gods) along with one Gabuntai Shinjukyo Mirror (a mirror with figures of deities and sacred animals), numerous iron swords, and U-shaped iron products were excavated from Kurozuka Tumulus, a keyhole-shaped mound built in the beginning of the Kofun period (tumulus period). Tenri City opened the museum in a park located on the eastern bank of a pond which is considered to have been the surrounding moat of Kurozuka Tumulus, in order to keep and display the archaeological materials found.
At the open ceiling space on the first floor, the rock chamber of Kurozuka Tumulus is reproduced at full scale (8.3 meters long.)
From the open hall on the second floor, you can overlook the whole rock chamber model below. On the first floor, there is also a display of artifacts, such as ironware, excavated from Kurozuka Tumulus with explanation panels to describe Kurozuka Tumulus as well as Yamato during the Kofun period (tumulus period). On the second floor, accurate replicas of excavated artifacts, 33 Sankakubuchi Shinjukyo Mirror and one Gabuntai Shinjukyo Mirror, are displayed. The original mirrors are stored after a treatment for preservation.
Information
Open: 9:00 - 17:00
Close: National holidays and Mondays (If a national holiday falls on a Monday, the museum will be closed on the following Tuesday as well.)
Free admission
Access
5 minutes walk from Yanagimoto Station (Sakurai Line)
Information for nearby spots
Chogaku-ji Temple
Burial mound of Emperor Suijin
Burial mound of Emperor Keiko
Tashiraka no Himemiko Fusumada burial mound
Kushiyama Tumulus
Nishiyamazuka Tumulus