An Exceptional Case of the Combination of Secondary Burial and Cremation in a Goguryeo Stone Chamber Tomb

A unique combination of secondary burial and cremation was identified in a Goguryeo stone chamber tomb at the Chuncheon Sinmae-ri Site (Historic Site No. 489), marking an unprecedented discovery in Korean archaeology. The study revealed that while most of the skeleton was subjected to selective cremation, excluding the skull and lower jaw, the remains were deliberately reassembled into a supine human-like form on the tomb's sarcophagus. Analysis suggests the body was first completely disarticulated, then partially cremated without residual soft tissue, before being reconstructed with anatomical precision. This complex ritual process, involving secondary burial and selective cremation, has no known parallels globally. While its exact significance remains speculative, it may reflect special circumstances surrounding the deceased or an unknown funeral tradition integrated into Goguryeo practices.

Ha, D. (2021). An Exceptional Case of the Combination of Secondary Burial and Cremation in a Goguryeo Stone Chamber Tomb. The Jungbu Archaeological Society, 20(2), 43–66. https://doi.org/10.46760/jbgogo.2021.20.2.43