Magatama in the kofun tombs of the ancient province of Yamato (3rd-7th centuries)

The article analyzes the findings of magatama comma-shaped beads in the funerary complexes on the territory of the ancient province of Yamato (central part of Honshu Island). The earliest examples of magatama belong to the Jomon period, but they started to occur in burials from the middle Yayoi period. In the Kofun period (3rd-7th centuries), magatama beads were placed in burial sites of different types: in the burial chambers of large kofun tombs, in burial mounds accompanying large kofun tombs, or in ordinary burials. In the ancient written sources, magatama are mentioned in the myths about the goddess Amaterasu. The analysis of the archaeological finds of magatama shows a wide spread of ancient beliefs associated with this ritual object among a wide range of people.