Kanai Higashiura site – remains of woman found wearing necklace

More news out of Gunma prefecture, where it was announced on April 26 that the remains of an adult woman were found near the armor-clad man at Kanai Higashiura (金井東裏遺跡), the early-6th-century site that was buried in volcanic ash from the eruption of Harunayama Futatsudake (榛名山二ッ岳; Hr-FA). Previous posts can be seen here and here.

Her skeleton is almost fully preserved.

The woman’s right knee is bent. The direction of her fall can be ascertained from her remains.

Source

She was wearing a necklace — a luxury unattainable for commoners during the early-6th century. Judging by the sumptuous display of wealth, Professor Tanaka Yoshiyuki of Kyushu University posits her to have been an elite woman of high rank. Her height has been reconstructed as 143 centimeters, rather short for the time.

Information has yet to be released on the materials (most likely beads) used in the neck decoration.

Further updates about her remains will be edited into this post.

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Source

金井東裏遺跡人骨は首飾りの女性 群馬、高地位か

群馬県渋川市の金井東裏遺跡で、６世紀初め（古墳時代）のよろいを着けた男性の骨の近くで見つかった別の骨が、首飾りをした成人女性のものであることが２６日、県への取材で分かった。ほぼ全身が残っており、榛名山（群馬県）の噴火で同じ火砕流に巻き込まれて死亡したとみられる。
調査した九州大の田中良之教授（考古学）は「噴火という緊急時に装飾品を着けており、地位の高い女性だろう。火砕流を避けようとして倒れた姿勢にも見える」と話している。
県文化財保護課によると、当時としても小柄な推定身長１４３センチの成人女性のほぼ全身と判明。右膝を曲げて右向きに倒れていた。