A The Relationship between the Obongsan Burial Cluster and Hamchang Gonyong Gaya(古寧加耶)

Recent archaeological and documentary research challenges the long-held assumption that Hamchang lacked a substantive Gaya presence, presenting strong evidence that it was indeed the historical center of Gonyŏng Gaya. The study, which integrates findings from the Obongsan burial cluster—comprising over 600 identified tumuli—with textual records and toponymic traditions, reveals a characteristic Gaya mortuary pattern: large linear tombs along the ridgeline crest and smaller graves descending its slopes. While diagnostic artifacts remain elusive due to extensive looting and limited excavations, this is interpreted as an artifact of preservation rather than absence. Cross-referencing with medieval sources, including the Samguk sagi and yusa, as well as Koryŏ and Chosŏn gazetteers, corroborates Hamchang's affiliation with Gonyŏng Gaya, further supported by a 16th-century stele attributed to its founding king. The study advocates for a reassessment of Hamchang's historical significance and calls for expanded excavations and chronological analysis to reconstruct the inland Gaya sphere.

Song, O. (2025). A The Relationship between the Obongsan Burial Cluster and Hamchang Gonyong Gaya(古寧加耶). Barun Academy of History, 29, 129–156. https://doi.org/10.55793/jkhc.2025.29.129