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| yna@yna.co.kr 2025-10-22 15:47:37
SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- How was the tomb of a young princess from the ancient Silla Kingdom, buried some 1,500 years ago, constructed?
The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage in Gyeongju said Wednesday it will hold a special presentation on the reconstruction experiment of Tomb No. 44 at the Jjoksaem Excavation Museum from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1.
Tomb No. 44, whose overall structure and interior were revealed after about a decade of study, was discovered in the Jjoksaem district, home to the burial sites of Silla royals and nobles dating from the 4th to 6th centuries. Excavation work was recently completed, and researchers are now conducting an experiment to rebuild the tomb. The institute said the experiment is unprecedented in world archaeology.
The tomb is a typical stone-mounded wooden chamber tomb (jeokseok mokgwakbun), unique to Silla, in which wooden structures are surrounded by stones and then covered with an earthen mound. The institute is reconstructing the tomb layer by layer, starting from its foundation.
“After erecting the wooden framework, we are currently reproducing part of the double-layered burial chamber where the body and grave goods were placed, and stacking stones around it,” an institute official said, noting that the process is at the eighth stage out of a total of 21.
The presentation, held to coincide with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Curators and researchers who participated in the excavation between 2014 and 2023 will introduce the tomb’s significance, excavation process, and research results.
Visitors will also learn how the wooden chambers and lids were built, the tools used, and see artifacts such as gold earrings, fragments of a gilt-bronze crown, bracelets, and rings. Replicas of notable items, including a decorative maldarae (a mudguard plate hung under the saddle to protect riders’ legs), known for its dazzling beetle-wing design, will also be displayed.
Participation requires no prior registration, and interpretation will be available in English, Japanese, and Chinese.
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