Daereungwon Tomb Complex is where large ancient tombs of kings and nobles of
the Silla Kingdom can be seen. There are twenty-three large tombs located
here; the most famous being Cheonmachong Tomb and Hwangnamdaechong Tomb.
In an excavation of the area in the 1970s, Cheonmachong Tomb was discovered
with a painting of a mounted horse. This painting is the only discovered
painting from the Silla era. You can also view the inside of Cheonmachong
Tomb. There are 11,526 remains and royal crowns inside the tomb, demonstrating
the lavish lifestyle of the king.
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Entering Daereungwon Tomb Complex.
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Daereungwon Tomb Complex map.
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Entering Cheonmachong Tomb.
The name "Cheonmachong" means Sky horse tomb. This tomb was built in the
style of Silla. The tomb was for an unknown king of the Silla Kingdom.
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The tomb, in typical Silla style, is a wood-lined chamber running east
to west and is covered in a mound of boulders and earth.
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This kind of tomb is said to follow the pattern of a Scytho-Iranian
tomb in Pazyryk, Russia.
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The tomb is 47 metres in diameter, 157 metres in circumference, and
12.7 metres in height.
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Lacquered wooden coffin.
The chamber of the tomb contained a lacquered wooden coffin which had
burial goods placed around it.
- A total of 11,500 artifacts were recovered from the tomb.
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Korean Flying horse (Cheonma).
The name of the tomb derives from a famous painting of a white horse
which is depicted on a birch bark saddle flap, also referred to as a
mud-guard.
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The horse, a Cheonma (Korean Flying horse), has eight legs and is
depicted with wings on its feet.
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This painting is a rare example of extant Silla painting and indicates
a strong influence by the Korean Goguryeo Kingdom.
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The burial of horse trappings and the sacrifice of a horse with the
king shows the importance of horse culture in Silla society and
indicates the central role of the king in shamanism practiced by the
people.
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The other side of the saddle flaps depict horsemen and the phoenix.
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Replica of the royal gold ornaments and accessories.
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Golden cap.
A 19 cm high golden cap, Old Silla period, from the Heavenly Horse Tomb.
No. 189 National Treasure.
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Silla crown caps were shaped like peaked hats, with strings attached
to each side that were tied under the chin to hold the cap in place.
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The front part of the crown cap was adorned with a large ornament
shaped like the wings of a bird or butterfly.
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This particular crown cap, which came from Geumgwanchong Tomb in
Gyeongju, was made by piecing together several sheets of gold cut with
various openwork patterns. The front part has a slot where the winged
ornament could be inserted into the crown cap, and the bottom has a
gentle oval shape to be fitted atop the wearer’s head.
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This crown cap is now regarded as the representative examples of Silla
crown caps.
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Gold Crown Ornament.
Silla, 6th century, From the collection of Gyeongju National Museum.
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This crown ornament from Cheonmachong is shaped like the wings of a
bird.
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On the front plate is an engraved dragon design, showing both sides of
the wings. In fact, the design is somewhat distorted and asymmetrical,
taking on a form resembling vines.
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Round metal flakes were hung only in the front, and iron nails were
found in the area where the ornament would be attached to the cone.
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Gold Crown Ornament.
Silla, 6th century, From the collection of Gyeongju National Museum.
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This crown ornament has a very unique form, combining the wings of a
bird with those of a butterfly.
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This symmetrical shape is made from a single sheet of gold plate, and
the round metal flakes were hung using a sewing method and gold
thread.
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Pond next to Hwangnamdaechong Tomb.
Another tourist attraction is Hwangnamdaechong Tomb, the largest ancient
tomb. It houses the bodies of both the king and queen and has over 30
thousand relics and gold accessories.
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The unique thing about Hwangnamdaechong is that the queen’s tomb has
more luxurious accessories. Researchers have concluded that even the
queen can have a high social position before marriage.
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Royal Tomb of King Michu.
Michu of Silla was the thirteenth ruler of the Korean state of Silla (r.
262–284). He was the first king of the Kim clan to sit on the Silla
throne; this clan would hold the throne for most of Silla's later
history. He was the son of Gudo, a leading Silla general, and the
sixth-generation descendant of the clan founder Kim Alji.
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During Michu's reign, the Samguk Sagi reports numerous attacks from
Baekje, and does not mention any contact with the other neighboring
states.
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Michu's tomb is preserved in central Gyeongju today. Various legends
pertain to this burial mound, which is known as the Jukjangneung, or
"Bamboo chief tomb."
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See more at
Michu of Silla - Wikipedia.
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People wearing hanbok.
The hanbok is a traditional clothing of the Korean people.
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Koreans have worn hanbok since antiquity. The earliest visual
depictions of hanbok can be traced back to the Three Kingdoms
of Korea period (57 BC to 668 AD).
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The clothes are also depicted on tomb murals from the Goguryeo period
(4th to 6th century AD), with the basic structure of the
hanbok established since at latest this period.
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The ancient hanbok consisted of a jeogori (top),
baji (pants), chima (skirt), and the po (coat).
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Modern hanbok are typically patterned after the hanbok worn in
the Joseon dynasty, especially those worn by the nobility and royalty.
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See more at
Hanbok - Wikipedia.
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Leaving Daereungwon Tomb Complex.
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See also
Sources
Location
