Ancient Tomb in Yonggang-dong, Gyeongju

This ancient tomb stands amid fields in Yonggang-dong, Gyeongju. It was excavated in 1986 by the Gyeongju Ancient Tombs Excavation Research Team, which established the nature of the tomb. Inside is a corridor-style stone chamber tomb, and although it had suffered damage from grave robbing, various earthenware vessels, clay figurines and a set of bronze zodiac figures were found. The clay figurines, 12–21 cm in length, include civil officials and military officials holding a hol (a tablet held in both hands by an official paying morning respects to the king) as well as female figures, some retaining traces of red pigment. The clothing depicted on these figures has made it possible to reconstruct the dress of Silla at the time. The discovery of the clay figurines is also evidence that, after the practice of human sacrifice at burial was banned, clay figures came to be placed in tombs instead. The bronze zodiac figures are arranged according to their respective compass directions, a practice also found in Tang dynasty tombs in China. Although the identity of the tomb's occupant and its exact date cannot be confirmed, the excavated relics suggest that it was a tomb of the jingol (true-bone) aristocracy of Silla, built in the late 7th to early 8th century, during the Unified Silla period. The discovery of clay figurines and bronze zodiac figures together inside a tomb was the first of its kind in Korea, opening a new chapter in the study of Silla tombs. It also provides important material for research on cultural exchange between Silla and Tang China and on the history of Unified Silla dress.

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Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Historic Site · 사적