The Total Size of the Ancient Tombs in Jisan-dong

The trail starts here on this road that leads uphill, which is next to the Daegaya Royal Tomb Pavilion. The mountain you face is Jusan Mountain. Gaya was a confederacy of ancient states in the southern area of the Korean Peninsula, and the tombs of Dae Gaya are located along the ridge of this mountain.

Dae Gaya was founded in 42 A.D., which was before the Middle Ages in Europe, and it fell in 562. Although it enjoyed a glorious culture and history, it was disregarded as a part of Korea’s ancient history for a long time due to the absence of written history. Therefore, the tombs here are important pieces of heritages that allow us to learn about Dae Gaya.

Around 700 tombs are located along the ridge. Large royal-class tombs are located in the north of this mountain. This probably reflects the ruling class’ desire to construct larger tombs at a higher elevation.

These tombs were quietly resting unnoticed on the ridge of Jusan Mountain for over 1,500 years. 10 tombs have been officially excavated up until now. Compared to the size of the tomb complex, only a few tombs have been excavated, but more will continue to be excavated.