There are some mysterious structures that will be keep hounding humankind like the ruins of Mohenjodaro, pyramids of Giza or the Great Zimbabwe in Southern Africa.
Gyeongju is home to one such mysterious structure - the mounds of Cheonmachong. No one really knows why they were made. But the consensus seems to be revolving around the thought that they could be the ancient tombs of kings and nobles of the Silla Kingdom.
The Cheonmachong tomb complex is home to 23 large tombs...
The burial mounds look like small hillocks and climbing them is prohibited. This is afterall regarded as sacred ground...
The mounds were discovered in a round of archaeological excavation of the area in the 1970s. The most notable mound, Cheonmachong was discovered with a painting of a mounted horse, which incidentally is the only discovered painting from the Silla era. The painting of the horse gave the tomb complex its name.
It was extremely windy and cold...
Entering the Cheonmachong...
Artifacts found inside the tomb...
A burial pit inside the Cheonmachong...
The gold crown of the Silla dynasty...
Other gold ornaments...
A gold waistband...
Ceramic ware...
Stepping out into the cold...
Perhaps there is more to the mysteries of the Cheonmachong, perhaps there isn't. We may never be able to find out. But it is that mystery that draws people to this place and that makes the place unique. It makes people bond to the place...
Indeed the Cheonmachong made me realise why Gyeongju is so quintessentially Korean...
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