Geumgwanchong

A mound covered in thick green grass rises above the flat streets of central Gyeongju. This is Geumgwanchong, a tomb from the Silla kingdom built sometime in the fifth or early sixth century. In nineteen twenty-one, a homeowner digging in his backyard here struck a heavy gold crown, which forced an immediate excavation of the entire burial chamber. Workers pulled out over ten thousand artifacts, including delicate gold earrings and swords, revealing the immense wealth buried with the person resting inside.