A 1500-year-old, eerie find was discovered in Japan

Archaeologists discovered a ghostly clay figure believed to represent a female shaman at a 5th-century burial mound in Japan. The find was made at the Nishikaminomiya archaeological site in Gunma Prefecture, where nearly a dozen kofun burial mounds from the 5th and 6th centuries were uncovered. During this period, haniwa clay figures were placed in graves, thought to house the spirits of the deceased. The figure, found in a moat surrounding a large burial mound, is believed to symbolize a miko, a female shaman in Shintoism, who performed important funerary rites. The haniwa features intricate details, including a traditional hairstyle and ritual tool, indicating careful craftsmanship.