A Basic Review of Iksan Ssangneung (Twin Tombs) as a Royal Tomb

Iksan region is the ancient capital of Baekje, where visible archaeological remains are scattered such as Wanggung-ri Historic Site and Mireuksa Temple Site which are directly or indirectly related to King Mu (reign 600-641), the 30th king of Baekje. In particular, the Iksan Twin Tombs, known as the tombs of King Mu and Consort, were re-investigated from 2017 to 2019, which served as a decisive opportunity to broaden the scope of awareness of royal tombs from the late Baekje period. Afterwards, a series of facilities that could be presumed to be ceremonial facilities, including large building sites, were discovered around the Iksan Ssangneung (Royal Twin Tombs). Baekje's funeral rites are fundamentally known to have been greatly influenced by China. Unlike the royal tombs of Gongju and Buyeo, the Iksan Twin Tombs are located on a low hilltop singlehandedly. This difference in location is believed to be due to the influence of the Tang Dynasty in China. Thanks to the investigation around Iksan Ssangneung (Twin Tombs) and the analysis of the past aerial photographs, the scale of the royal tomb was estimated to have measurements of 670m north-south, 370m east-west, rectangular in plane, and the area of approximately 260,000㎡. The space of Iksan Ssangneung may largely be divided into the tomb space and the space for rituals and management. The tomb space reserved on the north side of the royal tomb occupies more than half of the royal tomb area. And it is presumed that, to the south on the east and west slopes of the hill, there were offices in charge of all affairs of the tomb, Hyangdaecheong where articles for memorial services were stored, Suragan where meals were prepared for royal family at the lower part of the hill, and the quarters and workspaces for the guards were placed near the southern entrance. Besides, it is presumed that the living space of the tomb keepers, who were the actual subjects of tomb management, was located in a low-lying area that was not visible.