Gaya Tombs, a World Cultural Heritage Site– The Gaya Tombs, a World Heritage Site –

The Gaya Tombs have been recognized as a unique cultural heritage that demonstrates the identity of the lost Gaya civilization, and were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site on September 2023, 9.

The Gaya Tombs are a UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of seven ancient tombs built by the Gaya Federation, an ancient political and collective regime that existed in the southern part of the Korean peninsula from the 3rd century to the mid-6th century. The seven tombs are located in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province.Daeseongdong Tomb Group, South Gyeongsang Province Hamnan Sueisan Tomb Group, South Gyeongsang Province Hapcheon County Tamada Tombs, North Gyeongsang Province Goryeong Jisan-dong Tomb Group, Goseong County, North Gyeongsang ProvinceSonghak-dong Tomb Group, North Jeolla Province Namwon City Yugok-ri and Durak-ri Tomb Group, South Gyeongsang Province Changnyeonggyodong and Songhyeondong Tombsetc.

The seven ancient tomb groups are the tombs of the highest ruling class of the seven Gaya Kingdoms, which were scattered independently in various regions in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. All of the ancient tomb groups are located in the hills in the center of the country, and the tombs are densely packed together, having been constructed over a long period of time.

All of the tombs have a particular type of stone chamber and have yielded unique forms of pottery, known as "Gaya-style stone chamber tombs" and "Gaya-style pottery," respectively. These commonalities allow us to identify the territorial boundaries of the Gaya Confederation.

Map of the Seven Gaya Tombs in Southeastern Korea

Gaya Tombs