Re-examination of ‘Blood ties’ and ‘Hierarchies’ Represented in Clustered Burials in the Peripheral Areas of 4-6C Gyeongju, Silla

Until recently, 4-6C Silla burials in the peripheral areas of Gyeongju have been underresearched, despite the fact that those areas constituted the capital city of Silla, together with the central area of Gyeongju. Under these circumstances, Choi (2021)’s comprehensive analysis of chronological and hierarchical relations of those burials from the peripheral areas as well as the central areas of Gyeongju are worthy of note. Nevertheless, in previous studies, including but not limited to Choi (ibid.)’s, a priori dichotomic and oppositional views of blood ties and hierarchies in ancient societies blocked political implications of blood ties in ancient societies from being properly discussed. In addition, Choi (ibid.) assumed, instead of analysing and demonstrating, the positive correlation and hierarchical relations between (1) grave goods, (2) grave size, (3) burial type, (4) grave type, and (5) burial enclosures. This study aims to shed light on subtle differences between burials and burial groups in the peripheral areas of Gyeongju, and unravel their social implications. For this purpose, eight cemeteries in the peripheral areas, where detailed information of more than thirty burials is available, is analysed. The focus is placed on any existing correlation between (1)~(5) burial attributes and their patterning in time and space. It reveals partial and contingent hierarchies between those five attributes. Analysis also shows that high-ranking attributes listed by Choi (2021) are by and large evenly distributed between different burial clusters. This evenness is impossible without careful monitoring and cross-referencing between different burial clusters. The possibility is suggested that this intentional practice was related to social strategies of ‘indirect control’ and ‘playing off one group against another’ employed by the central power in Gyeongju.