calendar>>October 17. 2020 Juche 109
One More Old Mural Tomb Found in DPRK
Pyongyang, October 17 (KCNA) -- A research group of the Korean Agency for Preservation of Cultural Heritage recently unearthed a new mural tomb dating back to Koguryo Kingdom (B.C. 277-A.D. 668) in Undok area of Ryonggang County, Nampho City of the DPRK.

The new tomb is situated on a hillside north of the area, from which you can see Ryonggang big tomb and twin-pillared tomb, listed as world heritages, 1.5 kilometers away west.

It, consisting of burial chamber and passage, is an earthen tomb with a stone chamber.

At the entrance of the passage, there is a stone gate made of plate granite with ring-shaped metal door pulls. One part of the present two-leaved gate is 125 cm in height, 60 cm in width and 9 cm in thickness and each door pull is 10 cm in diameter.

The passage lies to the east slightly from the center of the south wall in the plane square chamber and a low rectangular bier lying to the west is on the floor of the chamber. There remain south and west walls with 3.17 meters long for each side and 1.5 meters high.

The main theme of mural paintings at the tomb is a picture of four guardians. Depicted on the surface of the west wall is white tiger (one of four guardians).

Found out in the tomb were also pieces of mural paintings depicting heads and forelegs of animals like tiger and dog and haunch of a horse, pieces of mural paintings picturing vine patterns and one nail used for bier.

The Archaeology Society of the DPRK verified that it is a Koguryo mural tomb with theme of a picture of four guardians, discovered for the first time in Ryonggang area, and this tomb was built circa the sixth century. The society also estimated that the tomb is of academic significance in the study of the history, culture and life custom of Koguryo since it has a stone gate with metal door pulls preserved in their original state.

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