Representative Tumuli of Gaya... Has Absolute Value in the Study of Gaya's Establishment and Development
The Daeseong-dong Tumuli Site, which has been confirmed for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage, is located in Daeseong-dong, Gimhae City, Gyeongsangnam-do.
Even the name of the tomb is derived from the regional name. The Daeseong-dong Tumuli Site is a representative tumuli site of Geumgwan Gaya, which constituted the Gaya Confederacy in the 1st to 5th centuries.
It has been interpreted as an important material for understanding the true nature of Geumgwan Gaya, as separate tomb areas were built for the ruling class of Geumgwan Gaya and the ruled class. Various types of tombs such as earth mound tombs, stone chamber tombs, wooden chamber tombs, wooden box tombs, stone box tombs, and stone chamber tombs with capstones have been confirmed through excavation surveys.
The academic excavation survey of the Daeseong-dong Tumuli Site was first conducted in June 1990 by the Kyungsung University Museum, which excavated the Chilsan-dong Tumuli Site in Gimhae City to find the tombs of the ruling class of Geumgwan Gaya.
The Daeseong-dong Tumuli Site, the top-level tomb of the ruling class of Geumgwan Gaya, is located within the Gimhae Basin, and from the 1st century to the late 5th century, wooden chamber tombs, wooden box tombs, and stone box tombs were sequentially constructed.
In the early stages, wooden chamber tombs were built on the flat land around the tumulus, and from the late 2nd century, wooden box tombs expanded upwards to the top of the tumulus.
From the late 3rd century to the early 5th century, large-scale wooden box tombs were constructed in the upper part of the tumulus, and medium and small-sized wooden box tombs were built around the large wooden box tombs and around the sides of the tumulus.
Stone chamber tombs were surveyed from the southern end of the tumulus and at the burial site until the collapse of Geumgwan Gaya. According to historical records, Geumgwan Gaya collapsed in 532, and afterwards, the Gimhae area was incorporated into Silla.
The Gaya pottery stored in the large wooden box tombs and stone chamber tombs consists of jars, basins, and jars with long necks, showing common funeral customs of the Gaya Confederacy.
In particular, trade items such as bronze mirrors imported from China, dragon-patterned belts, bronze pots imported from the northern regions, and bronze swords imported from Japan demonstrate the active role of the political body that created the Daeseong-dong Tumuli Site in the East Asian international trade system connecting China, Gaya, and the Japanese archipelago.
Gimhae City plans to carry out various follow-up projects in light of the inclusion of the Daeseong-dong Tumuli Site in the UNESCO World Heritage.
Firstly, by attracting the Gaya Tumuli World Heritage Integrated Management Organization and establishing the Daeseong-dong Tumuli World Heritage Visitor Center, the value of the Daeseong-dong Tumuli Site will be enhanced.
Additionally, through events such as the National Sports Festival this year, the 2024 East Asian Culture City, and the Year of Gimhae Visits, Gimhae City plans to widely promote the brand of Gimhae City, which possesses UNESCO World Heritage, to domestic and international visitors.
Mayor Hong Tae-yong said, "We will contribute to the increase in brand value and activation of the local economy of related local governments such as Gyeongsangnam-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Jeollabuk-do, including Gimhae, which has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage."
(The article was translated into English by artificial intelligence.)
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