Reconstructing the Historic Terrain of the Buyeo Royal Tombs for Enhancing the Understanding of World Heritage Authenticity Using Multi-Temporal Spatial Data

Reconstruction of the historic terrain of the Buyeo Royal Tombs, part of the UNESCO-listed Baekje Historic Areas, reveals that these royal funerary sites were strategically positioned on south-facing slopes outside the Sabi capital. This deliberate spatial planning reflects the funerary ideology and urban organization of the Baekje kingdom during the Sabi period (A.D. 538–660). The study employed multi-temporal spatial data, including historical maps, aerial photographs, archaeological excavation records, and contemporary datasets like LiDAR and UAV-based photogrammetry, to overcome methodological challenges in terrain reconstruction. A rigorous three-stage backward georeferencing procedure using Helmert and Thin-Plate Spline (TPS) transformations ensured accurate mapping of the pre-intervention landscape, providing insights into the original topographic context obscured by modern maintenance works conducted in 1966.

Lee, J.-W., Lee, S.-K., Jung, S.-H., Choi, D.-Y., Kim, B.-G., Jang, D.-W., & Seong, J.-Y. (2026). Reconstructing the Historic Terrain of the Buyeo Royal Tombs for Enhancing the Understanding of World Heritage Authenticity Using Multi-Temporal Spatial Data. Heritage, 9(9), 346. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9090346