The Brick Tomb of King Muryeong

This is the replica of the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong. Do you recall the stone animal figurines and the stone tomb steles that you previously saw? The floor of the tomb was simply constructed, and the artifacts were placed on the floor. The northern and eastern walls were more detailed, with niches for lamps set into them.

The long passageway leads into the tomb. Follow the passage and take a look at the artifacts on the floor. As you can see, the stone tomb stele, coins, and stone animal figurines were found in the passage. The coffins of the King and Queen were placed in the chamber of the tomb. Can you see the raised part of the floor? This was the holy place where the corpses were placed, distinctly separate from the other areas.

If you look at the walls, they are patterned with lotuses and there is a flame-shaped niche for an oil lamp. It is believed that the oil lamp was part of the last ritual performed after enshrining the coffin. When the door of the tomb was finally closed, the light remained until the oil ran out and the tomb was plunged into total eternal darkness. The soot from the lamp withstood the ravages of time for 1,500 years and is still visible.

The Royal Tomb of King Muryeong is located in the Songsan-ri Ancient Tomb Complex in Gongju. In 1996, it was realized that humidity was beginning to affect the tomb and the bricks were becoming damaged, so to preserve the tomb, it was closed to the public. This is why today we are unfortunately unable to see the actual interior of the tomb. You may however wish to visit the model exhibition at the Songsan-ri Ancient Tomb Complex, which has a replica of the interior of the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong.