▲ This photo provided by the Buyeo National Research Institute shows the excavation site of the Songsan-ri No. 29 tomb (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) -- The Songsan-ri Tombs in Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do, which are inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list as part of the "Baekje Historic Area," are a royal cemetery built by the Baekje kingdom during 475 to 538 AD when Gongju was called Ungjin.

 

Along with the famous Royal Tomb of King Muryeong, the so-called 'Songsan-ri Tomb No. 29', which was investigated in 1933 during the Japanese colonial period, is also located here.

 

The tomb has been revealed through excavation surveys which were conducted for a second time in 88 years.

 

 

▲ This photo provided by the Buyeo National Research Institute shows the bird's-eye view of the Songsan-ri No. 29 tomb (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

No relics have been found to infer the owner of the tomb, but it is more likely to be built later than the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong, a key relic of the Songsan-ri Tombs, in terms of location and structure.

 

The Buyeo National Research Institute and Gongju City announced on the 28th that they have discovered the tomb, which was investigated during the Japanese colonial era, but its status and location are unknown, and confirmed again that it is royal-class.

 

▲ This photo provided by the National Museum of Korea shows the Songsan-ri No. 29 tomb, pictured in the Japanese colonial period (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The Songsan-ri Tombs are divided into two types. First, there are stone chamber tombs that follow Baekje's unique traditions, and brick chamber tombs including the tomb of King Muryeong that embrace Chinese traditions of the same era.

 

However, this No. 29 tomb has a unique mixed style. The floor and two coffin pedestals are made of bricks, while the walls are built with broken stones.

 

As a result of the reinvestigation, the chamber is 340 to 350 centimeters long and 200 to 260 centimeters long horizontally. This is similar to the tombs number 1 to 4 and is estimated to be larger than tomb number 6 at the Sonsan-ri tumuli. The length of the coffin pedestal is about 250 centimeters in the east and 170 centimeters in the west.

 

The walls were finished by building broken stones and painting lime inside, and the entrance was closed with several layers of bricks. The passage from the entrance to the chamber was made eastward, and bricks were used on the floor, just like the chamber.

 

 

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