Rammed Earth Fortress Walls and Drainage Facilities Discovered at Aragaya Royal Fortress

Excavation of the Haman Gayari Ruins
Evidence of Large-Scale Repairs and Reconstruction in the Early 6th Century

Panoramic View of Haman Gayari Ruins

At the Haman Gayari ruins, known as the royal fortress of Aragaya, the first rammed earth fortress walls introduced to the Gaya region and a variety of drainage facilities have been discovered.

The National Gaya Cultural Heritage Research Institute announced on the 27th that, since 2018, it has been conducting excavations at 586 Gayari, Gaya-eup, Haman-gun, South Gyeongsang Province, and has uncovered rammed earth fortress walls as well as related facilities such as drainage channels and water collection basins.

In the most recent investigation, drainage channels constructed in the form of underground ditches, as well as trumpet-shaped drains that widen as they extend outside the fortress, were identified. These drainage channels penetrate the fortress walls at different heights.

Outside the fortress walls, a series of boundary-marking posts set at regular intervals-referred to as a “partitioned post row”-were revealed, while inside, fixed wooden posts and side planks were discovered. Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) dating indicated ages of 460-548 and 480-540, respectively. According to the institute, “This demonstrates that after the initial construction of the fortress, large-scale repairs and reconstructions were carried out in the early 6th century.”

Panoramic View of the Excavation Site at Haman Gayari Ruins

Given the complex structure of the fortress walls and their associated facilities, the Haman Gayari ruins are regarded as the royal fortress built at the height of Aragaya’s power. This site is also recorded as the location of the former nation in historical Joseon Dynasty documents such as the Hamjuji (1587) and Dongguk Yeoji Ji (1656).

The institute plans to present the results of the excavation at the site on December 4, with sessions scheduled for 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

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