The respected Comrade
"A valuable legacy created by our ancestors through their struggle and creative activities, historical sites and relics are an asset of the nation that should be handed down from one generation to the next."
A mural tomb dating back to Koguryo was unearthed in Undok area, Ryonggang County, Nampho City in May Juche 109(2020), drawing attention of academic circles.
The site where Ryonggang Sasin (Four Holy Animals) Tomb was found is the southern foot of Mt. Sokchon where dolmens from the period of Ancient Joson are scattered in groups.
About 1.5 kilometers west of Ryonggang Sasin Tomb are Ryonggang Big Tomb and Two-Pillar Tomb registered as world heritages.
This is a tomb of stone chamber covered with earth, like Kangso 3 tombs, Susan-ri mural tomb and Tokhung-ri mural tomb.
At the time of its discovery, it was impossible to learn details of its shape and size because its ceiling had been destroyed and the tomb had collapsed.
This is a one-chamber tomb with its inner path and an inner chamber.
The inner chamber faces south.
At the entrance is a stone door built of a trimmed granite slab.
The stone door is 125 cm high, with an iron ring handle, which is 10 cm in diameter.
The inner path is slightly eastward from the center of southern wall of the inner chamber.
The inner chamber is square with each side 3.17 m long.
Though the mural painting has been considerably destroyed, the picture of the holy animals is fairly recognizable.
Only one coffin nail has been discovered on the bench because the tomb had already been pillaged a long time ago.
It is the mural tomb of Koguryo with a picture of four holy animals, the first of its kind found in Ryonggang area.
Among the mural tombs of Koguryo, the tombs with the picture of four holy animals correspond mostly to the period between the late 5th century and the 7th century.
Ryonggang Sasin Tomb, a tomb consisting of an inner path and an inner chamber, is similar to Honam-ri Sasin Tomb, Kaema Tomb, Naeri Tomb No. 1, Thonggu Sasin Tomb and Kangso 3 Tombs, which are considered to be the tombs of the 6th-7th century A.D.
More specifically, the tomb is almost identical to Naeri Tomb No. 1 in Samsok District, Pyongyang, in view of the stone door at the south and the iron ring handle attached to it.
Naeri Tomb No. 1 is considered to date back to the late 6th century or the early 7th century.
This clearly shows that this tomb was made in the period of Koguryo of about the 6th century.
The discovery of mural tombs of Koguryo around Mt. Sokchon in Ryonggang, famous for the abundance of dolmen tombs, shows that our ancestors lived here not only in the period of Ancient Joson but also in the period of Koguryo.
At the same time, it can be scientifically confirmed that the mural paintings were used till the last period of Koguryo as well as during the days when the pictures of character and custom and four holy animals were drawn, as in Ryonggang Big Tomb, Twin-Pillar Tomb and Okdori Mural Tomb.
The tomb is a precious legacy showing the proud history and excellent culture of Koguryo and a cultural treasure of the Korean nation to be handed down to posterity.
