Shilla-Period Tomb Reveals Man Buried Alive with Woman

An ancient tomb with a man and woman who probably died in their 20s or 30s has been discovered in downtown Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

Archaeologists on Thursday said that the tomb probably dates back to the 5th century Shilla Kingdom, whose capital was Gyeongju. It also contains gold and silver accessories and horse riding equipment.

The bodies appear to be positioned on top of one another. The excavation team concluded from the leg bones and teeth that the one at the bottom is a woman in her 30s and the one on top a younger man.

The team believes that the man was an inferior to the woman and buried alive with her to appease her spirit, since he is wearing no accessories, whereas the woman is wearing gold earrings and a belt.

The woman's well-developed leg muscles and a complete set of harness and steel armament suggest that she was a member of the nobility and well versed in horse riding and handling arms.

"The man could have been a servant, body guard or lover," said Prof. Lee Han-sang of Daejeon University. "The discovery is important because it shows an unknown type of burial of the living with the dead in the Shilla period."