Ugly Truth - Gaya Relics that Gangdan Historians and Archaeologists are trying to hide

 "Gaya's Forest" is embroiled in controversy over whether it's Gaya restoration or burial.

As part of a plan to reorganize the Gaya history and culture area, the theme park "Gaya Forest," which is intended to be built on 11,800 pyeong of the site of the former Gimhae Public Stadium at 431 Bonghwang-dong, is embroiled in controversy over its burial, not restoration of Gayasa Temple. As a result of recent active archaeological excavations around it, this place is thought to be part of the royal family of Geumgwan Gaya (AD 42-532), an ancient kingdom that flourished around Gimhae. As proof of this, various Geumgwan Gaya-related relics are located in the area immediately adjacent to the old public movement site, which is surrounded by the Haebancheon Stream that runs north and south through downtown Gimhae. In other words, in the northern area, there is Daeseong-dong Ancient Tombs (Historic Site No. 341) in the center of the 3rd and 4th centuries surveyed by the Gyeongseongdae Museum in 90-92, and at the eastern point is the waterway royal tomb (Historic Site No. 73), where Geumgwan Gaya's founder is buried. In addition, Bonghwangdae Historic Site (Historic Site No. 2) including the Shell Mound in Hoehyeon-ri, Gimhae, is starting at the southern point. As a result, it could be fully expected that the site of this public playground would already have various relics related to the royal palace, including ancient tombs, buried underground from the stage of planning the "Gaya Forest." Moreover, in November 2003, a 22-meter-wide Saturn wall was found in the Bonghwangdae ruins, when Geumgwan Gaya was in full swing, and in January of the same year, a large-scale building site using a pillar support instead of stone was identified. The current distribution of surrounding ruins and recent archaeological excavations strongly support that this area, including the site of the old public playground, was the Geumgwan Gaya Wanggyeong. Compared to the recent lukewarm case, it can be said that the same phenomenon is taking place in Gimhae, as the discovery of the royal castle of the Hanseong period from Pungnaptoseong Fortress. This is why Gimhae City's plan to create a "Gaya Forest" is embroiled in controversy. Given various surrounding conditions, no matter how much the public playground previously destroyed the basement, it was expected that there would be remains of the Gaya period, and the actual excavation and investigation are consistent. The Gyeongnam Institute of Archaeology and the Dong-A Institute of Cultural Heritage conducted excavations and full-scale excavations on about one-tenth of the total 10,000 pyeong project site, and found that it was reminiscent of a minefield of underground relics. However, the problem is that Gimhae City is trying to complete the excavation of the entire public playground site at the level so far and start construction next year. Gimhae City puts forward the most important reason as "a forest of Gaya will be created within the scope of not destroying underground burial sites or relics." An official from Gimhae-si added, "The 'Gaya Forest' does not destroy the current surface, but mainly creates mountains and plants trees on it, so even if a park is built, it does not affect the underground ruins at all." According to this policy, the excavation and investigation of this place are expected to be completed early next month at the latest. The excavation guidance committee, which was held on the 31st of last month, also accepted it from a guidance committee consisting of four professors from archaeological universities in the region and virtually approved the construction of the "Gaya Forest." However, criticism is also formidable that this is an act of "burying" Gayasa Temple, which advocated the restoration of Gayasa Temple. Professor Lee Sang-gil of Kyungnam University asked back, "Why should the theme park, which advocated the restoration of Gaya culture, be built in a place full of Gaya ruins?" and added, " Moreover, the site of the public playground should be used as a venue to restore Gaya culture through long-term academic discoveries." Professor Lee said, "It is said that theme parks do not destroy underground ruins, but once the park is built, Gaya culture buried there is obvious that it will be buried for at least hundreds of years," and emphasized, "The park construction plan should be immediately scrapped." A cultural figure in the region, who refused to identify himself, added, "It is difficult to accept Gimhae City's idea of building a park on top of the Gaya cultural layer, but it is more difficult for some archaeologists who approved or condoned such a policy."