Wolseong Palace Site
경주 월성
South Korea · North Gyeongsang, Gyeongju
In brief
Wolseong is the walled area where the palace of the Silla kings stood. Excavations of the walls and moats have provided evidence of construction techniques as well as human sacrifice practices interpreted as being associated with the construction of the walls.
What was found?
- 1Human remains in the wall foundations
Human skeletons have been found among the construction layers of the western wall. According to researchers, their positions and accompanying finds indicate a practice of human sacrifice associated with the wall's construction.
- 2Large mammal bones
Selected rib bones of large mammals have been found in a context associated with the human remains. Researchers interpret them as parts of the same construction ritual.
- 3Drinking vessels
Pottery was recovered with human and animal remains in the wall's construction context. According to researchers, the particular selection of drinking vessels suggests a deliberate arrangement of offerings.
- 4Glass-beaded jewelry
A necklace and bracelet were found with the remains of an adult woman. These document the objects the individual wore.
- 5Layered wall fills
Construction layers made using clay, sandy soil, organic materials, and wooden arrangements have been identified. They reveal methods of building walls on soft ground.
What does it point to?
Wolseong shows that the Silla administration could combine different materials and techniques for a large wall project. According to researchers, the placement of some human remains together with animal bones and vessels suggests that religious practices also accompanied the construction process.
What did it teach us?
- It made it possible to distinguish the construction sequence of the western wall and subsequent repair phases.
- It showed that wet and weak ground was reinforced with wood and organic materials.
- According to researchers, it provided archaeological evidence of human sacrifice associated with wall construction.
Images
Latest news / selected archive
In 2021, another adult female skeleton was found in the foundation of the western wall, adding to previously reported examples of possible human sacrifice.
Record
- Culture
- Silla
- Team / historical
- Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage
- Coordinates
- 35.8313°, 129.2233°
Sources
- whc.unesco.org
- nrich.go.kr
- nrich.go.kr
- my.heritage.go.kr
- en.wikipedia.org
- Yongnam Archaeological Review / Kore Atıf Dizini
Nearby excavations
- Mireuksa Temple Site 198 km
- Gongsanseong Fortress 201 km
- Yoshinogari 299 km
- Heijō Palace Site 610 km
- Asuka Palace Site 618 km
- Niuheliang Archaeological Site 1,042 km
- —
- —
- 12.000
From beneath the soil: latest discoveries
- 2,600-year-old mudbrick structure identified beneath the city of Buto in Egypt
The walls of a large mudbrick structure identified through satellite and geophysical surveys were confirmed by a trial excavation. According to the researchers, a layer of sand placed beneath the foundations may have helped protect the structure in the waterlogged ground of the Nile Delta.
Heritage Daily ↗ · Excavation notebook - Celtic woman's grave containing jewelry and animal remains found in Germany
A woman's skeleton, heavy bronze anklets, a sapropelite arm ring, and the remains of a lamb or kid were found in the grave in Bavaria. According to the researchers, placing the animal in the grave as a food offering represents an unusual example of Celtic funerary practices in the region.
Arkeofili ↗ - Cupboard containing personal belongings, childhood amulets and coins found in Pompeii
Grooming items, 38 bronze coins and a necklace made up of at least 24 amulets were found in a cupboard in a house in Pompeii that had remained closed since the eruption in AD 79. The preservation of these objects together provides detailed information about everyday life and personal mementos in Roman times.
Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - Lead seal of a bishop named Stefan found in Croatia
Excavations on the islet of Lukovac uncovered a document seal bearing the name Stefan and the title of bishop in Latin. According to the researchers, the seal, tentatively dated to the 6th–7th centuries, offers rare evidence of early church administration in a region with limited written sources.
Heritage Daily ↗ - Roman-period sarcophagus of a child buried with toys found in Romania
A wheeled toy horse, a rooster-shaped rattle, jewelry and organic remains were recovered from a sealed child’s sarcophagus dating back approximately 1,800 years in the ancient city of Tomis. The preservation of wooden coffin fragments and the shroud also offers a rare opportunity to study child burials in Roman times.
HeritageDaily ↗ - Roman-period grave found in the seating area of the ancient theater in Gölyazı
A tile-covered grave dating to the 1st century AD and containing cremated human remains was uncovered in the theater of Apollonia ad Rhyndacum. Why the burial took place in the theater despite the city having a separate cemetery remains unknown; the find raises new questions about the use of public spaces.
Arkeofili ↗ - Marble portrait of Antinoos and 13 inscriptions found at Teos
A marble portrait of Antinoos and 13 inscriptions on reused stone blocks were found around the Temple of Roma and Augustus at Teos. The inscriptions shed light on the city’s political and legal relations, while researchers say the portrait and inscription fragments show that the temple was also connected to the cult of Antinoos.
Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - New prehistoric settlement identified on the shore of the Dardanelles
A newly published study presented Yaylatepe Höyük, identified during surface surveys in 2024, and its pottery spanning the end of the Late Chalcolithic to the beginning of the Late Bronze Age for the first time. According to the researcher, the settlement, which has a visual connection with Asartepe on the opposite shore, contributes to understanding prehistoric coastal connections along the strait.
Arkeoloji Dergisi ↗
All excavation sites (385)
Türkiye
- Acemhöyük
- Aizanoi
- Alabanda
- Alacahöyük
- Amos
- Ani
- Aphrodisias
- Arslantepe Mound
- Aspendos
- Assos
- Ayanis Fortress
- Aşıklı Höyük
- Barcın Höyük
- Blaundus
- Boncuklu Höyük
- Can Hasan I
- Carchemish
- Claros Sanctuary
- Clazomenae
- Domuztepe
- Ephesus
- Euromus
- Gordion
- Göbekli Tepe
- Hadrianopolis in Paphlagonia
- Hattusha
- Hierapolis
- Iasos
- Kaman-Kalehöyük
- Karahantepe
- Karatepe-Aslantaş
- Kaunos
- Kibyra
- Knidos
- Kültepe-Kanesh
- Laodicea on the Lycus
- Letoon Sanctuary
- Limyra
- Magnesia on the Maeander
- Medieval City of Beçin
- Metropolis in Ionia
- Miletus
- Myra
- Nemrut Dağ
- Nysa on the Maeander
- Olympus in Lycia
- Oymaağaç Höyük — Nerik
- Patara
- Pergamon
- Perge
- Phaselis
- Priene
- Sagalassos
- Sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma
- Sanctuary of Labraunda
- Sapinuwa
- Sardis
- Sayburç
- Side
- Stratonikeia
- Tell Atchana – Alalakh
- Teos
- Tripolis on the Meander
- Troy
- Uluburun Shipwreck
- Xanthos
- Yenikapı – Theodosian Harbour Excavations
- Yeşilova Höyük
- Yumuktepe
- Zerzevan Castle
- Zeugma
- Zincirli Höyük — Sam'al
- Çatalhöyük
- Çavuştepe Fortress
- Çayönü
- Çukuriçi Höyük
