Wolseong Palace Site

경주 월성

South Korea · North Gyeongsang, Gyeongju

PalaceIntermittent excavationUNESCO · 2000
Approximate period300 CE — 1,000 CESilla and Unified Silla periods See on the map ↓

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?

  1. It made it possible to distinguish the construction sequence of the western wall and subsequent repair phases.
  2. It showed that wet and weak ground was reinforced with wood and organic materials.
  3. According to researchers, it provided archaeological evidence of human sacrifice associated with wall construction.

Images

Gyeongju Wolseong Palace Site 2
Christophe95 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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

  1. whc.unesco.org
  2. nrich.go.kr
  3. nrich.go.kr
  4. my.heritage.go.kr
  5. en.wikipedia.org
  6. Yongnam Archaeological Review / Kore Atıf Dizini

Nearby excavations


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12.000

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