Bihwa Gaya
Encyclopedia
Bihwa Gaya, also known as Bijabal in Japanese records of the time, was one of the member states of the Gaya confederacy
during the Three Kingdoms period of Korea
. It was based near the modern-day city center of Changnyeong County in South Gyeongsang province, South Korea
. It was conquered by Silla
in the 6th century AD, some time before 555.
Bihwa Gaya is mentioned in the Goryeo Saryak and under the name "Bijabal" in the Japanese chronicle Nihonshoki. It may have arisen from the 3rd century Jinhan
state of Bulsaguk (불사국, 不斯國) which was probably also located in modern-day Changnyeong. Archeological evidence suggests a close relationship between Bihwa Gaya and nearby Silla, although as part of the Gaya confederacy, Bihwa would frequently have been at war with Silla.
The royal tomb
s of Bihwa Gaya are located in Gyo-dong, Changnyeong-eup, in Changnyeong County. Some of these tombs were excavated during the colonial period
in 1918, but all records of that excavation have since been lost. In 1973, a team of researchers from Busan
's Dong-A University
excavated several remaining tombs. These tombs appear to have been constructed in the 5th century AD. Some of them show indications of the live burial of members of the royal household. In 1996, a museum focusing on the relics of the Bihwa Gaya period opened adjacent to the tombs.
Gaya confederacy
Gaya was a confederacy of territorial polities in the Nakdong River basin of southern Korea, growing out of the Byeonhan confederacy of the Samhan period.The traditional period used by historians for Gaya chronology is 42–532 CE...
during the Three Kingdoms period of Korea
Three Kingdoms of Korea
The Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
. It was based near the modern-day city center of Changnyeong County in South Gyeongsang province, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. It was conquered by Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
in the 6th century AD, some time before 555.
Bihwa Gaya is mentioned in the Goryeo Saryak and under the name "Bijabal" in the Japanese chronicle Nihonshoki. It may have arisen from the 3rd century Jinhan
Jinhan confederacy
Jinhan was a loose confederacy of chiefdoms that existed from around the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD in the southern Korean peninsula, to the east of the Nakdong River valley, Gyeongsang Province. Jinhan was one of the Samhan , along with Byeonhan and Mahan...
state of Bulsaguk (불사국, 不斯國) which was probably also located in modern-day Changnyeong. Archeological evidence suggests a close relationship between Bihwa Gaya and nearby Silla, although as part of the Gaya confederacy, Bihwa would frequently have been at war with Silla.
The royal tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
s of Bihwa Gaya are located in Gyo-dong, Changnyeong-eup, in Changnyeong County. Some of these tombs were excavated during the colonial period
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
in 1918, but all records of that excavation have since been lost. In 1973, a team of researchers from Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
's Dong-A University
Dong-A University
Dong-A University is a major private university in Korea. The university's campuses are based in Greater Busan, the second-largest city in South Korea. About 19,000 students are enrolled...
excavated several remaining tombs. These tombs appear to have been constructed in the 5th century AD. Some of them show indications of the live burial of members of the royal household. In 1996, a museum focusing on the relics of the Bihwa Gaya period opened adjacent to the tombs.