The Buyeo National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (Director: ImSeung-Kyung) has commenced the excavation of the Royal Tomb No.4, Buyeo since the second half of last year. Through this excavation, two potterieswhich illuminate one aspect of the funeral culture of the Baekje period were found.

Royal Tombs, Buyeo in maintenance contains six tombs exposed during the Japanese colonial period(1915, 1917) and one tomb discovered during the repair and maintenance work in 1966. However, there are considerable difficulties to apprehend the funeral culture of the Baekje period because of brief research records and a lack of related photos and measured drawings. Especially in the case of Tomb No.4, it has been necessary to re-examined urgently due to the fact that measured drawings were not left and the result of preliminary research that there are quite differences in the size and the location between actual and restored mound.

The research showed that Tomb No.4 is a stone chamber tomb with corridor(橫穴式石室墳) which consists of the main chamber(玄室) where the deceased is lying, the tomb entrance tunnel(羨道), and the grave entrance road(墓道). In addition, the mound as upper structure of the tomb remained relatively well, the significant data demonstrating the construction method of the Baekje period’s Royal Tomb. The entire process of the research has been digitally recorded in consideration of future restoration and maintenance. 

In particular, two buried facilities were firstidentified at the both side of the grave entrance road(墓道). It was confirmed that two potteries were placed upright in the each pit and covered with a flat plate-stone. These facilities are the first case confirmed among Baekje tombs and noted as a critical data related to the funeral culture of the Baekje period. It seems to be a significant evidence to restore ritual process considering the process that the grave entranceroad were dug for buried potteries after its construction. Furthermore, since revealing the filled contents of the potteries has been considered as an important clue to identifying a ritual process of the time, the institution is collaborating with Conservation Science Center in the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage for conducting an analysis of organic matter from the soil accumulated inside the potteries.

 In the face of a lack of historical materials, the buried potteries are critical material that can reveal the funeral culture of Sabi period in Baekje.

Meanwhile, from March of this year, excavation survey of Tomb No.3(Seohachong) will be promoted. It is noticed that like Tomb No.4, there are differences about the size and the location between the actual and the currently maintained onein Tomb No.3. That is why this excavation will be needed to make an accurate maintenance and restoration plan. Since Tomb no.3 is located adjacent to the south side of Tomb No.4, which was investigated last year, it is expected that critical results will be derived in understanding the geographical conditions of the tumuli and the order of construction in Royal Toms, Buyeo

The Buyeo National Institute of Cultural Heritage intends to recover the status of Royal Toms of Sabi period in Baekje through systemic excavation and research of Royal Toms, Buyeo. Furthermore, in order to adjust the correct size and location of the mound that had been over-represented, the institute plans to prepare maintenance and restoration plan for Royal Tombs that fully reflects the latest research and its results. Not only that, it is also planned that the site, Tomb No.3 and Tomb No.4 in excavation will be open to the public while the entire process of investigation will be shared to the public by producing a video, so that the investigation results could be promptly disclosed.