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A Study on the Cremation Grave in the Unified Silla Period

손병국 1

1

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This thesis is a study on the cremation grave which possesses many distinct characteristics among various methods of burial during the unified Silla period. Despite the fact that there have been many cases of cremation graves in historic ruins from the unified Silla period identified, compared to other periods, there had not been sufficient comprehensive studies conducted. based on new data and existing study results, an analysis was made of the location and structural type of the cremation graves from unified Silla period. And an understanding of detailed characteristics and regionality were obtained by analyzing development of cremation and others through literature materials. Based on this, we sought to draw a comprehensive assumption regarding the development background and transition process as well as character of the buried persons. Structural type of cremation grave from the unified Silla period were classified into 6 types by analyzing confirmed cases in each regions. Largely, it can be classified into singular type(type I) and dual type(type II) and the singular type can be subdivided into pit type(IA), earthenware type(IB), stone lined type(IC), and the dual type can be subdivided into stone coffin type(IIA), earthenware type(IIB), and stone case type(IIC). In terms of the transition process of cremation grave, it entered towards the end of the 6th century or the 7th century and cremation graves started to appear in the capital, and there were various structural types and exclusive cremation pottery found from the 8th century which leads to an assumption that cremation was prevalent during this period. In addition, during the 8th~9th century, the construction of cremation graves expanded out to even the countrysides. Starting towards the end of the 8th century, there were differences in the structure and material quality of cremation pottery between the capital and the countryside and those differences became further intensified entering the 9th century. Images of constructing cremation graves in groups in county sides via cases of gathering in countrysides being distributed while maintaining the cremation grave in regular intervals can be seen as a characteristic of the 9th century. The character and class of the buried persons indicated in the literature records can be summarized as kings, Buddhist monks, and yookdoopooms. As a result of analyzing the method of burial, structure of the cremation grave and composition of the cremation pottery, excavation of human bone, it can be assumed that the buried were people of power above a certain level of economic power and status, as opposed to general public and the literature records and human bone analysis data indicate that the cremation was performed without distinction of gender.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.