Korean Mummies of the Joseon Kingdom

This book examines Joseon Dynasty mummies (15th–19th c.), highlighting their exceptional preservation and scientific value. It integrates historical and archaeological perspectives with biomedical research to explore cultural contexts, offering insights beyond Korea’s borders.

Mummies uncovered at archaeological sites worldwide have proven invaluable to the fi elds of history, archaeology, and anthropology. Their study offers rich opportunities to explore the sociocultural and medical dimensions of ancient peoples and societies, providing multi faceted insights into their lives within specific historical contexts.

This is equally true for mummies excavated from Joseon Dynasty graves dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Over the decades, systematic research in Korea has yielded invaluable data on the people of this era. Studies of Joseon mummies have provided important insights into the health and disease patterns of premodern East Asia, employing rigorous scientific methodologies.

Nevertheless, despite these advances, detailed accounts of the cultural context surrounding Korean mummies remain limited. Biomedical analyses have dominated the fi eld, but integrating historical and archaeological perspectives is essential for a more comprehensive understanding.

This book seeks to fill that gap. The authors advance the academic discourse by focusing on the historical, archaeological, and anthropological dimensions of Joseon-period mummies. In addition to the scientific study of the mummies themselves, chapters also highlight the wealth of information on dress and clothing that can be gleaned from the well-preserved examples from Joseon tombs, as well as discussing ethical issues and the legal framework to mummy studies in Korea. The second part of the book presents a series of significant case studies, showcasing key discoveries and demonstrating the development of scientific techniques. Overall the book provides a comprehensive exploration of the cultural background of Joseon Dynasty mummies, making this rich and diverse fi eld of study accessible to scholars outside Korea.

Preface

About the editors

Acknowledgements

List of editors and authors

List of figures and tables

Part I

Chapter 1. Joseon Kingdom Mummies – Dong Hoon Shin, Chang Seok Oh, Jong Ha Hong, Sung Woo Hong, Bongkyun Choi, Soon Chul Cha, Seung Gyu Park, Hyo-sun Lee

Chapter 2. History of the Joseon Kingdom and its People – Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 3. The Story of Mummification in Korea – Chang Seok Oh, Jun Bum Park, So-Ri Min, Seung Hee Baek, Sung Uk Lim, Sun Young Hwang, Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 4. Preservation of Korean Mummies – Chang Seok Oh, Jong Ha Hong, Myeung Ju Kim, Soon Chul Cha, Jun Bum Park, So-Ri Min, Bongkyun Choi, Sung Woo Hong, Yuri Bang, Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 5. Research on Joseon Mummies – Jong Ha Hong, Chang Seok Oh, In Sun Lee, Won Joon Lee, A Young Yoon, Min Seo, Myeung Ju Kim, Seok Bae Kim, Ensung Koh, Sohee Cho, Mi Kyung Song, Kyoung-Mi Nam, Heeseon Kim, Ryang-Ji Kang, Ji-Won Park, Jieun Kim, Hyejin Lee, Jun Bum Park, So-Ri Min, Bongkyun Choi, Sung Woo Hong, Yuri Bang, Soon Chul Cha, Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 6. Health and Disease in Joseon Mummies – Dong Hoon Shin, Chang Seok Oh, Jong Ha Hong, Min Seo, Myeung Ju Kim, Yi-Suk Kim

Chapter 7. Archaeology of Joseon Tombs – Soon Chul Cha and Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 8. Clothing from Joseon Tombs – Eun-Joo Lee, Mi Sook Jung, Myung Eun Lee, Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 9. Ethics of Mummy Studies in South Korea – Dong Hoon Shin, Chang Seok Oh, Jong Ha Hong, Eun Jin Woo, Won Joon Lee

Part II

Chapter 10. Eung Tae and His Family: Love, Loss, and Legacy – Se Gweon Yim, Eun-Joo Lee, Yun Jeong Kang, Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 11. Gangneung Mummy: A Benchmark in Korean Mummy Research – Jun Bum Park, Mi Kyung Song, Soon-Wha Bae, Eun-Joo Lee, Seung Hee Baek, Sung Uk Lim, Jaesung Lee, Sun Young Hwang, Mi Youn Lee, Ensung Koh, Da Yeong Lee, Jong Ha Hong, Sang Joon Park, Jieun Kim, Chang Seok Oh, Myeung Ju Kim, In Sun Lee, Yi-Suk Kim, Min Seo, Won Joon Lee, A Young Yoon, Myung Ho Shin, Do Seon Lim, Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 12. KU-1 Mummy (Konkuk) – Dong Hoon Shin, Chang Seok Oh, Jong Ha Hong, Yi-Suk Kim

Chapter 13. Hadong Mummy-1 (HD-1) – Eun-Joo Lee, Yangsu Yi, Se Gweon Yim, Myung Ho Shin, Chang Seok Oh, Myeung Ju Kim, Yi-Suk Kim, Min Seo, Do-Seon Lim, In Sun Lee, Seung Chae Kim, Yun Jeong Kang, Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 14. SN1-2 Mummy (Sinnae) – Jun Bum Park, Bou-Ja Koh, Seung Hee Baek, So-Ri Min, Sung Uk Lim, Jaesung Lee, Sun Young Hwang, Mi Youn Lee, Chang Seok Oh, Dongsoo Yoo, Yi-Suk Kim, Sang-Seob Lee, Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 15. Hadong Mummy-2 (HD-2 or Lady Onyang Jeong) – Eun-Joo Lee, Se Gweon Yim, Chang Seok Oh, Yi-Suk Kim, Jun Bum Park, Myung Ho Shin, Myeung Ju Kim, Yun Jeong Kang, Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 16. Mungyeong Mummy (Jinseong Yi Nang) – Soon Chul Cha, Seok-Min Cho, Soon-Kwan Kim, Min Ho Jeong, Bo Hyun Lee, Won Shik Eom, Tae Hyun Ahn, Jong-Chan Bae, Chang Seok Oh, Jong Ha Hong, Myeung Ju Kim, Min Seo, In sun Lee, Won-Kyu Park, Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 17. Andong (Gagok-Ri) Mummy – Soon Chul Cha, Ensung Koh, Shin-hye Ha, Young-Suk Kwon, Jung Eun Lee, Hyun-Suk Cho, Chang Seok Oh, Myeung Ju Kim, Yi-Suk Kim, In Sun Lee, Dongsoo Yoo, Jong Ha Hong, Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 18. Cheongdo Mummy – Jong Ha Hong, Chang Seok Oh, Yi-Suk Kim, Dongsoo Yoo, Seung Gyu Park, Hyo-sun Lee, Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 19. Gumi Mummy (Eung Cheok Koh) – Soon Chul Cha, Ensung Koh, Mi Kyung Song, Won Joon Lee, Eun Jin Park, Joon Yeol Ryu, A Young Yoon, Byung-Yoon Roh, Yeon Kyung Park, Da Yeong Lee, Dongsoo Yoo, Myeung Ju Kim, In Sun Lee, Jong Ha Hong, Sang Joon Park, Jieun Kim, Hyejin Lee, Chang Seok Oh, Dong Hoon Shin

Chapter 20. Conclusions – Dong Hoon Shin

Appendices

Appendix 1. Bibliography of Korean Mummy Studies

Appendix 2. The Selected List of the Mummies of Joseon Kingdom

• Edited by Dong Hoon Shin
• Associate editor Chang Seok Oh
• Associate editor Jong Ha Hong