Okjeon Tumuli, Hapcheon

Site details

The Okjeon Tumuli, located in Okjeon Village, Seongsan-ri, Ssangchaek-myeon, Hapcheon-gun, is a Gaya burial site that contains artifacts from the tombs of the highest-ranking leaders. Situated on a hill along the Hwanggang River, a tributary of the Nakdong River, the Okjeon Tumuli is estimated to have around 1,000 tombs, with 18 large tombs (20-30 meters in diameter) concentrated in one area. Excavations have revealed various types of tombs, including wooden chamber tombs, pit-style stone-lined tombs, pit-style stone chamber tombs with front openings, and corridor-style stone chamber tombs. Numerous artifacts have been discovered, including pottery, iron weapons, armor, horse trappings, and ornaments, suggesting these are the tombs of Gaya rulers. Items such as iron armor, gilt-bronze helmets, and iron horse helmets have been unearthed, reinforcing this assumption. These findings are invaluable for understanding Gaya culture and are significant for their connections to Goguryeo culture, such as the helmets found in Chongori Fortress in Pyeonganbuk-do. The Okjeon Tumuli provide essential insights into the burial culture of ancient Korea and its ties to Goguryeo, as well as offering crucial data for studying the political landscape of the Three Kingdoms period and East Asian cultures, including Japan. Photo Credit: Hapcheon Cultural Tourism