Haniwa refers to figures made up of terracotta clay that were as funerary objects during the Kofun Period in Japanese history. The term Haniwa literally means circle of clay. The Haniwa were placed on and around the tombs of the elite. Haniwa figures include warriors, dancers, female attendants, horses and other animals, birds and houses. Haniwa figures were madeusing water-based clay. the figures were then dried into a rough and absorbent material. The Haniwa were found mostly in southern Honshuand northern Kyushu. The figures were also designed as a retaining wall for the koffuns (tombs).