The Emergence of Brick-and-Stone Mixed Mural Tombs and Their Builders

In the early fourth century, Goguryeo conquered Nakrang (樂浪, 313) and Daibang (帶⽅, 314), thereby securing effective control over the northwestern region of the Korean Peninsula. This marked a decisive turning point in Goguryeo’s external expansion and a reconfiguration of the political and cultural landscape of the area. From this period, a distinctive type of tomb appeared in the Pyeongyang and Anak regions: the mixed brick-and-stone tombs with murals. Unlike conventional brick tombs or stone-chamber mound tombs, these hybrid structures combined construction techniques and incorporated mural paintings, exhibiting unique structural and iconographic features.<br/> Previous scholarship has generally subsumed these tombs under either brick tombs or mural tombs, without fully addressing their social background or the identity of their builders. This study investigates the origins, structural and mural characteristics, and the social identity of the groups responsible for constructing these tombs. It argues that the mixed brick-and-stone mural tombs were not simply products imposed by Goguryeo authority, but rather cultural expressions created by immigrant groups from China who voluntarily submitted to Goguryeo during the upheavals of the Six Dynasties period. While adapting to Goguryeo’s political order, these communities visually reconfigured their social identity and status through tomb architecture and murals.<br/> By situating these tombs as transitional forms reflecting both Goguryeo’s regional governance and the agency of immigrant groups, this study highlights the complex processes of political integration and cultural hybridization in northwestern Korea during the fourth century.