Ancestral monumentalization: Considerations on the keyhole-shaped tumuli in Korea

Abstract

This study examines the key-hole tumuli discovered in the Yŏngsan River basin, focusing on their significance within the historical context. Notably, this region garnered attention for its jar coffins and haniwa-like artifacts, previously undocumented in the Korean peninsula. Although key-hole tumuli, a burial tradition typical of Japan, are infrequently found in this area, so far fourteen have been unearthed. Typically located on plains or hills near coastal or river areas, their placement suggests a connection between the burying community and maritime trade routes.

While some scholars propose that these monuments were constructed for Wa immigrants unable to return to Kyūshū due to local unrest, I contend that they represent an effort by the Wa people or a closely associated community to establish a symbolic and ideological connection with the Chŏlla territory, thereby gaining control over its resources. After discussing various aspects of the burial customs in Korea and examining the theories proposed by Korean and Japanese researchers, this article aims to interpret the trend as a brief, but intentional, effort by a new group to establish their importance in the Yŏngsan River basin by constructing elaborate burial structures.