Gravel Stones Found in Gyeongju Jjoksaem Tomb No. 44: Were They Used for Baduk?

Gyeongju Cultural Heritage Research Institute and Hanguk Kiwon Jagalddol Daeguk Held
"If Proceeding Smoothly, It Can Be Expected as Baduk Stones"

Pebbles excavated from Jjoksaem Tomb No. 44 in Gyeongju will be used in a Go match. This is part of the "Millennium Hand Talk (千年手談) Silla Go Match" held on the 28th by the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and the Korea Baduk Association. Players Kim Su-young (Amateur 7-dan) and Hong Seul-gi (Amateur 6-dan) will face each other holding black and white stones respectively. The event aims to assess whether the pebbles can actually be used in a real game.

Jjoksaem Tomb No. 44 is a stone mound coffin tomb with a large burial mound measuring 30 meters in diameter. In November 2020, luxurious ornaments were excavated, leading to the presumption that it is the tomb of a Silla royal family woman. Over 860 uniformly sized pebble-like stones resembling Go stones were found near the foot area. Their shape is similar to pebbles found in Silla tombs from the 5th to 7th centuries, such as 243 stones from the southern mound of Hwangnam Daechong, 350 from Cheonmachong, 247 from Geumgwanchong, and 253 from Yonggang-dong ancient tombs. They are round, flat, and measure 1 to 2 cm in diameter. They are distinguished by dark and light colors, but no artificial processing or coloring was identified. Some argue that they are difficult to consider as Go stones because the colors do not clearly separate into black and white stones, and the total number is less than the 361 stones needed to play Go.

An official from the Gyeongju Cultural Heritage Research Institute explained, "If the match proceeds smoothly, it can be assumed that similar pebbles excavated from Silla tombs so far are also Go stones." They added, "In preparation for potential damage or loss, the stones have undergone a preliminary safety inspection by preservation experts and have been cataloged." The match will be broadcast live on Baduk TV and the Gyeongju Cultural Heritage Research Institute's YouTube channel.