Estimation of royal tombs from the Goguryeo Pyongyang period through review of archaeological data

As King Jangsu(⻑壽王) of Goguryeo moved the capital from the Jian(集安) area to the Pyongyang area in 427, the northwestern part of the Korean Peninsula became the central region of Goguryeo. Therefore, it is highly likely that the royal tombs of the late Goguryeo period were built in the Pyongyang area, not the Jian area. However, the royal tombs of Goguryeo, which can identify the main character through objective evidence found inside the tomb, such as epitaphs, have not yet been confirmed. Still, we can only determine the royal tomb of the late Goguryeo period or infer the king buried in the tomb by examining the name of the deceased king, the name of the land where the tomb was built, the size of the tomb, and the excavated artifacts. Goguryeo's royal tombs are important because they were tombs for the most powerful people of the time, and they were models and standards for the times. However, the reality is that it is not easy to decide on a royal tomb, let alone the owner of the tomb. Despite the limitations described above, this study established the conditions for royal tombs built after Goguryeo moved to the Pyongyang region, and identified the kings buried in the six tombs that were most likely to be royal tombs. I analyzed the production period of the roof tiles, which serve as the basis for determining the age, and changes in the internal and external features of the tomb. As a result, it was concluded that the first royal tomb built after moving to Pyongyang was Gyeongsin-ri No. 1 (Jangsu King's Tomb), followed by Dongmyeong King's Tomb (Munjamyeong King's Tomb), Honam-ri Sasinchong Tomb (Anjang King's Tomb), Topori Daechong Tomb (Anwon King's Tomb), Gangseo Daemyo (Pyeongwon King's Tomb), and Gosan-dong No. 1 (Yeongyang King's Tomb). However, no conclusion has been reached at this stage regarding the tombs of King Yangwon and King Yeongnyu. After Goguryeo moved its capital to Pyongyang, the death space of its highest authority was created at a certain distance from the royal palace, which is believed to be the result of the establishment of an afterlife view within Goguryeo society as a member of the international community in Northeast Asia at the time.