Gyeongju, where we are staying, is the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom, traditionally dated 57 BCE to 935 CE. During the Three Kingdoms period of Korean history, Silla shared the Korean peninsula with the kingdoms of Goguryeo and Baekje. With the help of Táng China, Silla conquered the other kingdoms in the 7th century and unified the peninsula in 668. From that point on what we think of as Korea has existed as a single state.
Although it is now a small city with a population under 300,000 and no downtown skyline to speak of, evidence of Gyeongju's glorious past is prominent throughout the city and its environs in the form of giant burial mounds (tumuli). According to
Wikipedia, there are 155 tumuli in central Gyeongju, and 421 tumuli in the outskirts of the city. Nearly all are unmarked and unexcavated, so we don't know who is buried in them. But it's a fair bet that many Silla kings, queens, and nobles lie at rest within them.
Here are a few pictures of some of the burial mounds we've visited during our time here.
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| twin burial mound |
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| Entrance tunnel to Cheonmachong 천마총, one of the few burial mounds that has been excavated. There is a small archeological museum inside displaying artifacts from the tomb. |
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| This exceptionally large mound is one of the few with trees growing on it. It is situated in a downtown park. the yellow sign says "Please do not climb on the tumulus." |
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| Three burial mounds at the base of (Mount) Namsan 남산 南山 |
Those are amazing. Very beautiful. Why are they not better known? And why have so few been excavated?
ReplyDeleteI don't know why they aren't better known. They should be.
ReplyDeleteI'll see if I can find out the reason for so few excavations.
I completely remember these from when I lived in Korea (age 4-5). Burying people in this way must have made an impression on me. It's one of the few things I remember from that time.
ReplyDeleteI completely remember these from when I lived in Korea (age 4-5). Burying people in this way must have made an impression on me. It's one of the few things I remember from that time.
ReplyDeleteAlicia, I knew you'd spent time in Korea as a young adult but didn't remember you'd been there as a kid. It's not surprising that it would make an impression on you.
ReplyDeleteTek knows the term "burial mound" now and uses them when he sees mere graves when we go hiking.