Silla’s Expansion into the Western Sobaek Mountains and Regional Governance Strategies —Focusing on the Fortress-Tomb System

This study investigates Silla’s territorial expansion strategy west of the Sobaek Mountains, focusing on the systematic relationship between fortresses and tombs from a landscape perspective. Silla established complex regional centers around key fortresses, surrounded by tombs, which functioned as military defenses and administrative, economic, and religious hubs. The Samnyeonsanseong Fortress-Tomb model exemplifies Silla’s approach to integrating new territories. This model demonstrates how Silla shaped local identities, strengthened central control, and ensured stable regional governance through the spatial arrangement of fortresses and tombs. Samnyeonsanseong Fortress, strategically located at the intersection of east-west and north-south transportation routes, played a crucial role in Silla‘s military defense and administrative integration amidst competition with Baekje and Goguryeo. Similar fortress-tomb systems were implemented in other regions, including Jeokseong Fortress in Danyang, Hupomaerisanseong Fortress in Yangyang, Iseongsanseong Fortress in Hanam, and Achasanseong Fortress in Seoul, reflecting Silla’s systematic approach to establishing control while considering local geographical and social structures. This research reveals that Silla’s fortress-tomb system was more than a means of physical domination. It played a vital role in incorporating new regional populations into Silla’s unified community. This regional governance strategy significantly contributed to securing Silla’s cultural homogeneity and political stability and is evaluated as a common governance strategy applied to expanded territories during Silla‘s period of expansion.