Ancient human sacrifice found in South Korea

[Judi Lynn]

MAY 17, 2017
AFP-JIJI


SEOUL – Evidence of human sacrifice to try to ensure the success of ancient construction projects has been found for the first time at a Korean site.

Two skeletons dating from the fifth century were found under the walls of the Wolseong (Moon Castle) in Gyeongju in South Korea, the capital of the former Silla kingdom, Seoul’s Cultural Heritage Administration said on Tuesday.

“This is the first archaeological evidence that folklore about humans being sacrificed for the foundations of buildings, dams or walls were true stories,” said spokeswoman Choi Moon-jung of the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage.

The burial of living victims with dead kings to serve them in the afterlife is already well known in ancient Korean cultures.

More:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/05/17/asia-pacific/science-health-asia-pacific/ancient-human-sacrifice-found-south-korea/#.WRvRgmjyvIU

[Judi Lynn]

1. HUMAN SACRIFICIAL REMAINS FOUND IN SOUTH KOREA

BY ELEANOR ROSS ON 5/16/17 AT 1:46 PM


Evidence of an ancient human sacrifice ritual has been uncovered in South Korea, where it appears human beings were murdered to bring stability and success to new construction projects.

Two skeletons, which appear to have been involved in human sacrifice, were found in Wolseong, or the Moon Castle in Gyeongju, South Korea, a popular tourist site. Gyeongju was the capital of the former Silla Kingdom established in 52 BC. It had a 992-year history.

"This is the first archaeological evidence that folklore about humans being sacrificed for the foundations of buildings, dams or walls were true stories," said spokeswoman Choi Moon-Jung from the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage told AFP.

. . .

Ancient Korean cultures traditionally buried living people with kings to service their needs in the afterlife, so it’s possible this is how they died. “The bodies exhumed at this site were highly likely to have been buried after a ritual,” Choi Byung-hyun, a professor emeritus of archaeology at Soongsil University, told the Korean Herald.

More:
http://www.newsweek.com/human-sacrifice-remains-found-south-korea-610136?piano_t=1