Appearance of Koguryo’s Early Piled-Stone Tombs of Abrok-gang River and Their Characters of Distribution Patten

A hierarchical structure of Koguryo’s early piled-stone tombs, concentrated along the Abrok-gang River, reveals a political organization mirroring its early administrative system. The study identifies six regional clusters, each subdivided into smaller zones with dominant central tomb groups, suggesting a 'Nabu' system where regions correspond to larger political units (Nabu), sub-regions to intermediate units (Naguk), and individual tombs to smaller units (Na). This pattern aligns with historical records from Samguksagi, indicating that Gok-Cheon (regional centers) and Won-Taek-Ya (local units) formed a vertical political hierarchy. The research also shows that while construction methods varied regionally in the 3rd–2nd centuries BCE, standardization emerged by the 1st century BCE, reflecting inter-regional exchanges among tomb-building groups.

Kim, J.-e. (2017). Appearance of Koguryo’s Early Piled-Stone Tombs of Abrok-gang River and Their Characters of Distribution Patten. Institute of History and Culture Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, (61), 31–76. https://doi.org/10.18347/hufshis.2016.61.31