The owner of the house at Hwangnam-dong 120-2 is a 12-15 year old female and a 3-year-old child.
Confirmation of the tooth alignment of a 3-year-old child assumed to be the child of the deceased.
Evaluation of the importance of ‘Silla child burial’ as a valuable research material.
The newly discovered teeth at Hwangnam-dong 120-2 belonging to the deceased and the child of the deceased have caused a shock, with the child being identified as around 3 years old.
The tomb, which became a hot topic last September with elaborate accessories such as gold crowns, gold earrings, and bead bracelets worn by the deceased, confirmed the ornaments intact.
The Cultural Heritage Administration, in collaboration with Gyeongju City, will hold a mid-term progress report meeting at 9:30 am on October 26 at The-K Hotel in Gyeongju to announce the detailed analysis results of excavated artifacts.
Among the teeth newly confirmed at Hwangnam-dong 120-2, two teeth of the deceased were excavated from the central and lower parts of the crown of the gold crown. The deceased’s age was determined to be a young age of 12-15 years.
The remaining teeth, where both upper and lower teeth were excavated, were judged to belong to a 3-year-old child just starting to form tooth enamel. Therefore, it is assumed that a young woman of 12-15 years old was buried in 120-2, with a child buried under her teeth.
The burial of children in royal and noble tombs was common in ancient societies, and according to the Samguk Sagi, the practice was widespread until King Jinseong of Silla prohibited it in 502. This child buried at 120-2 is considered to be a valuable source of information shedding light on the nature of child burials in Silla society.
In fact, child burials have been identified not only in large tombs such as Hwangnam-daechong South and North, Cheonmachong, and Sogamsam 44, but also in small tombs such as Hwangnam-dong 95-6 1, where the burial of children was performed.
The importance of the child buried at 120-2, who is presumed to have just started serving as the owner’s maid, is highlighted as a crucial piece of evidence that could reveal the nature of child burials in Silla society.
3-year-old child found in Gyeongju Hwangnamdong tomb, permanent teeth forming.
