Damyang Goseongniwolseongsan Mountain Tumuli

Goseong-ri, Damyang, lies in the south-western part of Damyang-gun, on the northern edge of a broad alluvial plain formed where the Oryecheon and Jeungamcheon streams join the main channel of the Yeongsangang River. The southern slope of Saminsan Mountain (570 m), to the north-west of the village, descends steeply down to about 100 m above sea level, then forms hilly ground down to about 40 m, which in turn connects to an alluvial plain of around 30 m above sea level along the banks of the Yeongsangang River. The tombs stand on a ridge about 50 m above sea level that extends a long way to the south, and it is estimated that around ten tombs were originally distributed along the line of this ridge. A 1995 survey of this tumuli group identified four tombs — two with mounds relatively well preserved and two with mounds barely surviving — and the present survey has identified one further tomb whose mound is well preserved. Numbering has for now been given first to the three tombs whose mounds survive well. It is thought that far more tombs once stood in this area than have been confirmed to date. Tomb No. 1 is the southernmost of the group. Although partly damaged by civilian graves built on the west and south sides of the mound, its eastern part is nearly circular while its western part is square, giving it a form similar to a janggobun, a tomb combining a round mound and a square mound, shaped somewhat like a janggo drum. Its long axis runs east–west, at right angles to the line of the ridge, with the square section facing the ridge's western slope. The mound measures about 24 m in overall length, with an estimated diameter of 14 m for the round section, an estimated width of 12 m for the square section, and a height of about 2.5 m. Tomb No. 2 lies about 160 m north of Tomb No. 1. The surrounding ground has been cleared for an orchard, and the tomb is thought to have stood on the ridge line running from north to south. Although altered by a civilian grave built on its southern slope, the mound is, overall, relatively well preserved. In plan it is circular, about 12 m in diameter and about 1.5 m high. Tomb No. 3 lies about 180 m north of Tomb No. 2. It stands in an orchard, and persimmon trees have even been planted on the mound itself. The edges of the mound have been cut away as the surrounding land was cleared for cultivation, and its southern side was levelled for a civilian grave; since that grave has since been relocated, the top of the mound is now irregular. The summit has a flat area where some stonework is exposed, suggesting that the burial facility is a stone chamber. The mound is broadly circular but appears slightly elongated north–south, which is attributed to the cutting-away of its eastern and western edges. It measures about 18 m in diameter and about 2.5 m in height.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Damyang, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물