South Korea [Credit: Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage]
During the excavation of Silla ancient tomb No. 44 at Jjoksaem in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, ongoing since 2014, archeologists unearthed a variety of treasures including about 200 Go stones buried beneath the feet of the tomb’s occupant. The size and location of the tomb, along with the jewelry and other ornaments found inside, indicate that the tomb belongs to a young woman of very high class, likely a member of a royal family. The find sheds new light on the nature and players of the game around that time.
Under the feet of the buried person, about 200 pieces of small black, white and gray stones, presumed to be used for playing baduk, were excavated. In the past, baduk stones of the Silla era were unearthed in tombs of people belonging to the highest classes.
In “Samguksagi” (History of the Three Kingdoms) and “Samgukyusa” (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms), there are records of King Hyonseong, who reigned from 737 to 742, playing baduk.
“It has been deduced that baduk was the exclusive property of men. As the tomb occupant at this time is presumed to be female, it is expected to raise new interpretations of and meaning in baduk culture,” the GNRICH official said.
-Kwon, Mee-yoo. “Unearthed ornaments link tomb to 5th century Silla princess.” The Korea Times [Seoul], 07 Dec 2020.
The story was reported in the Korea Times on December 7th, and a following article in the Archeology News Network was reported to the EJournal as a Go Spotting by Richard Neer at the University of Chicago.
