Goguryeo, ‘The Nation of the Continent’_1

Just like the murals found inside the pyramids of Egypt, many murals have been found on the walls of Goguryeo tombs. Vivid paintings depicting scenes from daily life, cavalcades, battlefields, hunting expeditions and dances reveal a great deal about the way of life of the Goguryeo people.

Occasionally some of the relics depicted in these murals are actually unearthed. The iron wood-burning stove in the middle of the exhibition room is a good example of this. The mural shows how the stove was used. A fire was lit and tended through the hole in the front of the stove, and steamers for cooking were placed over the hole in the top. Similar pots for steaming were found in the Goguryeo military base in Seoul.

A pair of spiked objects designed to be attached to the soles of boots is displayed in the glass case on your right. These big shoe-like objects with sharp, protruding spikes look clumsy and uncomfortable, so what were they used for? Yet again, the mural answers the question. An armed soldier on horseback is depicted wearing spiked shoe-covers. They were worn as protective equipment to prevent enemy foot soldiers from getting too close during battle.

The tomb murals of Goguryeo provide us with vivid descriptions of life in the kingdom.