A gilt bronze crown and a shoe, presumably from the ancient Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C.-A.D. 660), have been unearthed in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do (Gyeonggi Province). This is the first time that a Baekje gilt bronze crown and shoe have been found in the area around Gyeonggi-do.

According to the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) on May 26, a tomb with a wooden coffin from Korea's Three Kingdoms Period (57 B.C.-A.D. 668) was found and a large number of artifacts from Baekje were discovered inside. In the tomb, there were the gilt bronze crown and shoe, as well as a pair of golden earrings and a 1-meter-long sword with a ring in the pommel. There were also harnesses, including a bit for a horse, and an archery quiver, as well as clamps and nails used to assemble the wooden coffin.



The crown has an openwork design with a flower and grass pattern that was created by cutting a sheet of gilt bronze. There is an inner cap made of white birch bark inside the crown and it is now being chemically preserved. The shape of the crown is similar to those unearthed at tombs in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do (South Chungcheong Province), at Goheung in Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla Province) and at Hapcheon in Gyeongsangnam-do (South Gyeongsang Province), thus proving how crown design evolved. The clamps and nails also have important academic value as they show how wooden coffins were made during Baekje times.

The artifacts, including the crown, shoe and sword, are evidence that the area around Hwaseong in Gyeonggi-do used to be a major foothold for the Baekje Kingdom in the fourth and fifth centuries. These relics were gifts given by the central Baekje government to regional lords in order to demonstrate and implement its authority over them. The relics are expected to be key artifacts that show the nature of relationships between the central Baekje government and regional powers in the Hwaseong area in the fifth century.


The archeologists also found a tomb that was originally built out of soil and stones before a burial space was made inside. This kind of tomb was discovered earlier in Gimpo, Gyeonggi-do, and this is now the second such tomb to be found in Gyeonggi-do.

There are many artifacts from the Three Kingdoms Period that have been found in the earthen fortifications in Gilseong-ri and in the mountain fortresses and tombs of Hwaseong. Relics including a belt, swords with a ring in the pommel and various types of harnesses were found in Sachang-ri, Hwaseong, in the 1930s, less than 100 meters away from the current excavation site, a sign that there may be some connection between the items.

"Looking at the relics found in the tomb, the grave presumably belonged to an aristocrat who ruled this area during the Three Kingdoms Period," said a researcher at the Korea Cultural Heritage Institute, which is in charge of the excavation. "This shows that small and large regional powers were based along the rivers and streams of the west coast of Korea, including along the Hangang River, the Tancheon stream in Seoul and the Singalcheon stream in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do."



By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
jun2@korea.kr