First Excavation of Late 5th Century Silla Ruler's Stone Mound Chamber Tomb in Yeongcheon

Numerous Significant Artifacts Unearthed, Including a Gilded Crown and Earrings
Small-Scale Maintenance Project to Begin Next Year

Gilded Crown (left) and Ring-Pommel Sword excavated from the Wansan-dong Tumuli III in Yeongcheon.

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on November 19 that, through this year's "Excavation Project for Important Sites in Historic Cultural Areas," it has identified three stone mound chamber tombs at the Wansan-dong Tumuli III site in Yeongcheon and unearthed numerous significant artifacts, including a gilded crown, earrings, necklaces, and belts.

The Wansan-dong Tumuli III in Yeongcheon is the largest ancient tomb site from the Three Kingdoms period in the Yeongcheon region. The Cultural Heritage Administration investigated three stone mound chamber tombs, which were constructed in multiple layers, and two jar burials within the mound, which retains a diameter of approximately 16 meters.

The largest, Tomb No. 1, features a main and subsidiary chamber arranged in a "凸" shape above ground, with the perimeter and upper part filled with broken and river stones. The main chamber yielded a gilded crown, thick gold hoop earrings, a glass bead necklace, a silver belt, and a silver-decorated ring-pommel sword. The subsidiary chamber produced gilded horse trappings, iron artifacts, and numerous pottery pieces.

Tombs No. 2 and No. 3 were built as extensions to the mound of Tomb No. 1, with Tomb No. 2 also in a "凸" shape and Tomb No. 3 rectangular. These tombs contained a large number of iron weapons and pottery artifacts.

This is the first time a large stone mound chamber tomb has been excavated in the Yeongcheon area. Based on the artifacts and structure, the tombs are estimated to have been built between the late 5th and early 6th centuries and are identified as the burial sites of the highest-ranking leaders of the Yeongcheon community.

Bronze seal (left) and inscribed roof tile excavated from Bongdae Mountain Fortress in Muan.

The Cultural Heritage Administration and the Yeongcheon City Government plan to conduct further detailed investigations to secure important data for understanding the rise of Silla and the political and social landscape of the Yeongcheon area. They also aim to carry out systematic research and preservation in connection with the historic cultural area maintenance project.

Since 2023, the Cultural Heritage Administration has provided 9 billion won in national funding to local governments through the Excavation Project for Important Sites in Historic Cultural Areas. Excavations have been conducted at 51 sites across nine historic cultural regions. As a result, at Bongdae Mountain Fortress in Muan, Chinese porcelain and the first bronze seal discovered in the Honam region were unearthed, while at Geochilmatoseong Fortress in Haenam, remains and artifacts related to the ancient Mahan's traditional sacrificial rituals were identified.

Starting next year, a new small-scale maintenance project will be launched, with an additional 500 million won in national funding allocated to Bongdae Mountain Fortress in Muan. The project will include repairs to the fortress walls, improvements to the surrounding environment, installation of safety facilities, and support for developing historical and cultural tourism resources in collaboration with local residents.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.