3rd-Century Mahan Time Capsule Hampyeong Yedeok-ri Tumuli Cluster to Become a Historic Site

Fourteen terraced tombs and dwelling remains built between the 3rd and 5th centuries
Tracing the origins of jar-coffin culture through vertical and horizontal expansion and multi-burial practices

The Hampyeong Yedeok-ri Tumuli Cluster has been preliminarily announced for designation as a national heritage Historic Site.

The National Heritage Administration announced on February 25, 2026 that it will collect opinions from various sectors for one month and then finalize whether to designate it after deliberation by the Cultural Heritage Committee.

Excavated since 1994, this tumuli cluster is a key site of Mahan, constructed from the late 3rd century to the early 5th century. It is located in the upper reaches of Gomakwoncheon, a tributary of the Yeongsan River. It contains fourteen ladder-shaped terraced tombs and a variety of dwelling-related remains.

Its most notable features are the horizontal expansion that broadens the area beside individual tombs and the vertical expansion that piles up soil over existing tombs. It has also fully preserved Mahan's distinctive multi-burial practice, in which several burial facilities are created within a single mound.

Around the tombs, archaeologists have identified traces showing the integration of spaces for the living and the dead, including seven dwellings, two pottery kilns, and two cultivated fields. Nine unusual pits with wooden posts erected for ritual ceremonies, known as special-type earth pits, were also discovered. These are regarded as evidence demonstrating the unique Mahan view of the afterlife, in which they sought to console the deceased and pray for the well-being of their descendants.

The tumuli cluster also reveals changes in burial styles, evolving from early wooden-coffin tombs to large jar-coffin tombs. The abundance of excavated artifacts, such as jade objects and iron tools, likewise serves as key clues for tracing the origins of the jar-coffin culture in the Yeongsan River basin.