무령왕릉 묘지석의 대명력 사용 문제와「백제본기」 일식기록의 역일 재검토

Abstract

This paper examines the calendrical system of the sixth century Baekje kingdom as reflected in the records of solar eclipses in the “History of Baekje” of Historical Records of Three Kingdoms. Therefore, it reexamines the identification issues of calendrical systems that appeared in the burial panels of King Muryeong and his queen. Since the excavation of the royal tomb in 1971, for the past forty years this issue has remained unresolved due to adamant scholarship of the ancient Japanese history or Korean history of science, which insisted upon Baekje's adaptation of the Sung's Epochal Excellence system (Yuan-jia calendar, 445-509). However, a different reality is revealed showing that the dates are more likely based on the Great Enlightenment system (Da-ming calendar, 510-589) of King Wudi of Liang, with whom the Baekje King Muryeong had diplomatic relations of investiture. In particular, the record shows that in the fifth year of King Seong (527) when King Wudi's rule launched under the reign title, Da-ming calendar, Baekje at once established the Monastery of Great Enlightenment in Ongcheonju (present Gongju). Since Baekje was closely related with Liang both in diplomacy and cultural exchanges, its government immediately recognized King Wudi's shift of system, accepted and applied it to its own. For argument this paper suggests three calendrical materials inscribed in the burial panels, namely, the date of King Muryeong's death (523), the date of his burial (525), and the date of queen's interment (529).