Paper short abstract:

This paper will analyse the role of the horse and mounted warriors during the Kofun period by examining the exchange of objects, techniques, ideas and beliefs between the Eurasian mainland and the Japanese archipelago.

Paper long abstract:

The introduction of the horse and objects linked to horse keeping and horse riding at the beginning of the middle Kofun period (late 4th/early 5th century CE), lead to profound changes in Kofun period society. The import of the horse and the introduction of techniques for horse riding and mounted combat are connected to an influx of highly specialised craftspeople arriving from the Korean Peninsula. In addition to the horse, these immigrants furthermore introduced a variety of new crafts and agricultural skills along with prestige objects to the Japanese archipelago.

Tomb murals from North-eastern China and the Korean Peninsula as well as archaeological finds and written sources point to the spread of heavy cavalry throughout North-East and East Asia in the 4th century CE. Archaeologists therefore generally think the horse was introduced to the Japanese archipelago out of military necessity und was subsequently used for mounted warfare due to the Kofun people getting involved in military activities on the Korean Peninsula.

On first glance the archaeological material seems to support this hypothesis as from the middle Kofun period on there is a noticeable increase of weapons, armour, horses and their equipment among the burial goods. Many of these objects show strong similarities to objects found in North-eastern China, the Korean Peninsula but also nomadic sites in Eurasia. However, there is a distinct lack of protective gear for horses and an equal scarcity of skeletons with traces of injuries that would indicate that mounted combat actually took place on the Japanese Islands. The lack of Kofun period seagoing vessels furthermore raises the question whether or not it was possible to ferry large contingents of mounted warriors to the Korean Peninsula.

This paper will examine the role the horse and mounted warriors fulfilled in Kofun period Japan. It will furthermore analyse their representation and importance for Kofun period society and will show how objects as well as ideas and beliefs were hybridised to conform to local needs by examining exchange between the Eurasian mainland and the Japanese archipelago with a focus on the mobility of people, objects, innovations and techniques.