The Gaya National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (Director PARK Jongik) of the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) will announce the results of this year’s excavation survey of Tomb No. 39 of Group II of the ancient tombs in Gyodong/Songhyeon-dong, Changnyeong (Historic Site No. 514) and the nearby ancient tombs at San 5 Gyo-ri, Changnyeong-eup, Gyeongnam. The institute will also present the lifting of the capstone of the burial chamber of Tomb No. 63, which was never looted by tomb raiders, on the site on November 28.

*The capstone of the burial chamber : The burial chamber

In 2014, the Gaya National Research Institute began an academic excavation survey of an unexcavated sloping area - situated to the southwest of Mongma Mountain Fortress - which contains a group of ancient tombs in Gyodong/Songhyeon-dong, Changnyeong (Historic Site No. 514), now known to be a graveyard of the ruling class of the kingdom of Bihwa Gaya. The survey conducted in 2014 and 2015 covered nine earthen mound tombs and fifteen stone-chamber tombs dating from the mid-fifth century. The techniques used to build the tombs, such as the erection of wooden poles on the wall and the construction of one earthen mound right next to another, were ascertained during the survey.

Since 2016, a survey has been conducted of the highest, eastern part of a group of ancient tombs, which appear to have been built in the mid to late fifth century. Those examined include Tomb No. 39 (an earthen mound with a diameter 27.5 m), Tomb No. 63 (an earthen mound with a diameter 21 m), and Tombs Nos. 38 and 62 (earthen mounds with a diameter of about 8 m).

Among the group of tombs, No. 63 has been confirmed as the first tomb never to have been looted. Although there are more than 250 ancient tombs in the group located in Gyodong/Songhyeon-dong in Changnyeong, Tomb No.63 is the first one ever to be found intact, showing no traces of desecration or looting by tomb raiders. It is thought to have avoided such a fate as it lies unexposed, being covered by the tomb situated immediately above it, i.e. Tomb No. 39, which was built a little later than No. 63. The burial chamber was sealed with clay, with seven-meter-long flat stones serving as its capstones. The interior of the burial chamber vividly displays how the deceased and their burial accessories were buried.

As a result of using a survey camera to view the inside of the tomb, it is expected that many additional items of pottery will be excavated. The inside will be checked for the first time by raising the capstones with lifting equipment on the morning of November 28. The surface of the earthen mound retains traces of clay lumps in good condition, along with exposed decorative stone strips surrounding the tomb. These relics are precious materials that show how a burial was carried out and how tombs were built during the Bihwa Gaya Period.

*Protective stone: protective stone strip surrounding a tomb.

Tomb No. 39, which is the third largest of the tombs in Gyodong/Songhyeon-dong, Changnyeong, is located at the top of the group. Its center part was built with clay, presumably to prevent collapse due to rain water or such like, and edges with soil. Clay was laid on each layer of the burial mound. Such a technique can also be seen in ancient embankments like the Historic Site in Yaksari, Ulsan. Large jars were placed at intervals of about two meters in a section close to the protective stone strip to the southwest. An example of placing ceremonial earthenware on one side of a tomb in this way can be seen at Tomb No. 44 in Jjoksaem, Gyeongju, which has become the focus of considerable interest.

The four walls of the burial chamber were built with 1.5 m-long stones erected (for the eastern, western, and southern walls) or laid horizontally (for the northern wall). Similar structures have been found in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions in Korea, including a group of ancient tombs in Seongsan-dong, Seongju; as well as those at Kitahonjo Castle, Nagano, Kyushu, Japan. They are important materials that point to the existence of a close relationship between Bihwa Gaya and neighboring countries like Japan.

From the nearby Tomb No. 62, a relatively small burial, more than 400 earthenware objects were unearthed, including uniquely shaped objects like an object with a glass hung on both sides, a lamp-shaped relic with six glasses hanging from its sides, and a kettle-shaped object. Other items similar to these everyday objects have been unearthed from areas which used to form part of the territory of Gaya or Silla, and for the first time in Changnyeong. The survey also ascertained diverse methods of burying grave goods, such as putting smaller objects inside a large pottery, or stacking similar types of pottery or arranging them in a line.

It is expected that the techniques used to build the tombs of the ruling class of Bihwa Gaya, their burial rituals, and the unearthed relics identified in the survey will provide important clues for understanding the characteristics of Bihwa Gaya, which appears to have been a diverse and complex culture that shared a border with Gaya and Silla.

We at the CHA have carried out diverse foundation construction works, including basic studies, excavation surveys, the maintenance of historic sites, the designation of new cultural heritage assets, and the listing of certain heritages on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, in order to shed light on the substance of the Gaya culture, while promoting the National Project to Survey, Research and Preserve the Gaya Cultural Sphere. We expect to produce tangible results based on the results of the surveys carried out so far.

The site will be unveiled to the public at 3:00 PM on November 28. It will be a precious opportunity for anyone who is interested in Korea’s ancient culture.