창녕 교동 12호분의 구조와 성격

Abstract

Gyodong Tomb No. 12, which was excavated during the period of Japanese occupation, has been widely known as one of the main examples of a wooden chamber tomb with stone mound found outside of the Gyeongju area. However there are uncertainties surrounding the structure and grave goods of this tomb as the excavation results have not been formally reported. Recently, opinions have been put forth regarding the possibility that it may instead be a stone-lined tomb. In this paper, the drawings and pictures made during the Japanese excavation were examined in detail in order to confirm the structure, character and meaning of the tomb. As a result, it was possible to observe that the structure and the construction process of Gyodong Tomb No. 12 are almost identical to that of the small and medium-sized wooden chamber tombs with stone mounds of the Gyeongju area, apart from some elements that pertain to location. This indicates that the construction of the tomb was managed by an individual or group from Gyeongju. The nature and placement of the grave goods, which include personal ornaments, as well as the size of wooden chamber indicate that the tomb was that of a female individual. Of the six grades of the Gyeongju wooden chamber tombs with stone mounds, Gyodong Tomb No. 12 belongs to the third grade, which corresponds to the status of a low ranking noble of the capital. It is possible to suggest that the owner of the tomb was a noblewoman from the capital who had come to Changnyeong due to reasons of marriage, etc. It seems that, at the time, inhabitants of Gyeongju often came to Changnyeong to visit or settle down. It is likely that their role was not to apply political pressure on Changnyeong but to help maintain an amicable relationship between Gyeongju and Changnyeong.