I put it in my bag as if I was possessed by a ghost… 2 days and 1 night, tomb of King Muryeong

“It’s the irony of history that the best ruins came out after the worst excavations, even though I made a ridiculous mistake because I was driven by time.”

This is a retrospective of the former president of the National Museum of Korea (78), who was at the historic site of the excavation of King Muryeong’s tomb in 1971. At the time, a 28-year-old curator belonging to the Cultural Heritage Administration (currently Cultural Heritage Administration), he received an emergency call on July 6 and went down to Gongju, South Chungcheong Province. He remembers the two nights and three days that have been turbulent since then as “stinging and dreamy moments.” When I recently met at the headquarters of the JoongAng Ilbo in Sangam-dong, Seoul, he laughed loudly saying, “It is a monumental excavation in the history of Korean archaeological history, but it is a painful story of failure that we left behind.”

What the hell has happened? First of all, let’s listen to the upbringing interview of Director Ji Jeon along with this article. In short, the following truths were synthesized. First, on-site disclosure. Second, hasty apprenticeship. Third, it is insufficient preparation. In terms of the standards of 2021, after half a century, they are all taboos. However, when they were inexperienced in many ways, they put the worst numbers one after another as if they were possessed by ghosts. Kim Won-ryong, the head of the excavation at the time, the former Director of the National Museum of Korea, left a painful reflection, saying, “It was the greatest shame in my life that I finished excavating the tomb of King Muryeong in two days because of public opinion.”

Turn the clock and go to July 5, 1971. During the construction of the drainage for No. 5 and 6 in Songsan-ri, Gongju, the news that a brick was suddenly caught on the blade of a worker was reported to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (predecessor of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) through the Cultural Heritage Management Bureau. On the morning of the 7th, the excavation team led by Director Kim Won-ryong visited the site. When the entrance to the tomb dug into the Ginga private house was completely revealed, it became clear that it was a full-length brick grave (brick tomb) in the same style as that of the 6th minute. A reporter from the Hankook Ilbo, who noticed, posted a special article titled’Found a new tomb of King Baekje’ at the Gongju site. Reporters from all over the place gathered in the water. Hundreds of citizens of Gongju also surrounded the tombs, even to the new house where the baby was caught. Excitement and anticipation swelling. On the afternoon of the 8th, by the time they tried to enter the tomb after a memorial service, the excavation team had already lost control of the site.

“If I think about it now, I said,’You shouldn’t do this. I regret not saying,’You have to take your time and take it slow.’ However, there was no way for the heavenly Master to rush (the two were priests at Seoul National University). The field was so different from what I learned through study.” (Geongil Ji)

The lack of experience of the excavation team also contributed to this’misunderstanding’. It is known that the tombs of the Korean peninsula were fully investigated during the Japanese occupation. Although the excavation of the Shilla Heavy Rain Gun (1946) after liberation was carried out, it was necessary to obtain the assistance of Japanese and American experts. Dr. Yoo-jeon Cho, who participated in the excavation of King Muryeong’s tomb, recalled in 『The Story of Excavation』(1996), “In the 1970s, there were only 20 excavations a year at most, but in the 1980s, there were more than 50 cases, and in the 90s there were about 100 cases.” . Most of these were rescue excavations (excavation of ruins that could be damaged if left unattended) that were inevitable during rapid industrialization and urban road development. Former Director Ji also came to Gongju after completing the relief excavation for the Soyang River Dam. It means that in 1971, the method of archaeological excavation approached with a step-by-step plan for the purpose of researching academic or cultural properties had not taken root.

In addition, the tomb that the excavation team went into was’Nodaji’ itself, which has not been touched by humans for 1500 years. Even the Baekje tomb that has not been stolen is a miracle, but Ji-seok, who was placed on the path, even informed him that the main character of the tomb was the 25th King Muryeong. At the time, there was not much information about King Muryeong, but the fact that he was the father of the 26th King Seong, who made the transition from Woongjin (princess) to Sabi (buyeo) was exciting enough. This is the reason why Director Kim Won-ryong, who first entered the tomb, and Kim Young-bae, the director of the National Princess Museum, came out with an unearthly complexion. As I watched this from the night, the former director said, “It’s not unusual, intuition.” Reporters were also in a riot. When they said that they would take a picture of each other first, the’photojournalists before the actual survey were admitted’ without excavation.

After all the fuss, it’s time for the excavation team. There was no atmosphere in which no shooting, actual measurement, and retrieval of relics would take place in the already disorganized tomb. The excavation team carried away the relics as cheaply as they swept through the relics at the thrill of meeting the’bigger’ of a lifetime in the clamor outside. I was in a hazy state without drinking a sip of water all night long. No one complained of sleepiness. It was so confused and urgent.

“I put only the thick ones and the big ones in the relic box, and the rest were wrapped in cotton wool and picked up. It’s embarrassing because I couldn’t measure the small things, but I scooped it up with a (public use) and put it in a bag. Did it take 12 hours to get everything done? As an archaeologist, it was impossible, in fact, a robbery.”

What if a’Nodaji’ tomb like this was found today? “It will take at least six months to train,” cultural property experts say. It differs from the composition of the excavation team. Jae-eun Yoo, head of the National Research Institute for Cultural Heritage of Wanju, explained, “Geology, environmental studies, conservation and treatment experts of various materials such as metal, stone, and wood, and experts such as biology and chemistry participate from the initial stage.” When opening the tomb, it is essential to wear dustproof clothing and masks to be safe from unknown microorganisms. Before opening the entrance to the front, an endoscope is inserted to determine the location of coffins and artifacts. Even when rectifying, the relics entangled with grass roots are cut out each twig with scissors, and filmed, recorded, and collected layer by layer. In order to secure the entire relic without being disturbed, it is simulated to excavate or even scoop up the entire pile of soil around tens of tons.

Ironically, this procedure was established because of the defeat of King Muryeong’s tomb. When the joy of the national treasure-class relics poured out, academics and the media raised their voices of criticism and self. More than anyone else, the excavation team suffered from self-confidence.

“At the time of excavation, I couldn’t afford to think that it was wrong, but the perception that’relic excavation should not be done that way, should be done with enough time’ gradually spread to the academic world. In the case of Cheonmachong in Gyeongju, where I also participated as the director two years later, I conducted a systematic investigation with care for nearly a year.”

This is because “No matter how well excavated, it is an act of destroying the heritage” (Geongil Ji). Relics and relics are traces of the dead in the end. Once damaged, it cannot be reversed. Moreover, the tomb is the place where the dead are enshrined, but it is another person who made it. Details recorded in the excavation process can be combined with advanced technology in the distant future to add unexpected information. Just as the remnants sticking to the ritual bowl tell us the ingredients of the people of the day.

Lee Jong-hoon, head of the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, explained, “The more detailed information on relics and relics is, the more storytelling becomes possible, and all of these are assets and resources for our descendants.” Director Lee added, “These days, long-term excavation for decades is being promoted with in mind how to express the contents of cultural relics.” For example, if the tomb of King Muryeong was unprotected, and the Cheonmachong was tightly controlled, nowadays, in the case of Poksaem District 44 in Gyeongju, an open pavilion was created to allow tourists to glimpse the excavation process. It is a method of using not only the findings but the process itself as an asset of our time.

“I am not denying the past, history is history. Since there was a mirror called the tomb of King Muryeong, two years later, it was possible to successfully excavate such as the Cheonmachong. Fortunately, young curators who weren’t even born at the time of excavation are newly preserving and researching the relics of the storage room, and they are producing results. I hope that the mistakes of the senior generation become a mirror and the juniors will do well. For good or bad, the tomb of King Muryeong will continue to serve as a mirror in Korean archaeological history.”

One more irony of history. Director Ji Jeon was the youngest member of the excavation team at the time and was in charge of shooting on site. I was called in a hurry and took the latest camera, but because I couldn’t learn how to use it, when I printed the picture inside the tomb, it wasn’t even half useful. However, the fact that reporters from each media company took it became the decisive basis for the production of reports and photo books. As Goethe said, history cannot but be a’mysterious work place of God’.

〈Continued to Part 3〉
Coverage·Written = Reporter Kang Hye-ran, Video = Shim Information·Lee Se-young
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※Reference books: 『Directly written tomb of King Muryeong』 (written by Taesik Kim, Medici), 『Story of Excavation』 (written by Yoojeon Cho, Daewonsa)