Abstract
Some inscribed bricks excavated from the western region of North Korea have been found bearing an era name used after 314 when the Nangnang and Daebang Commanderies had been completely ousted from the region. Others have been found with an era name used in the early fifth century. This indicates that the tradition of constructing brick chamber tombs was sustained for a century after the disappearance of the two commanderies. However, brick chamber tombs were never adopted as a burial system for the ruling class of the Goguryeo Kingdom. The Tomb of Jang Mui built in 348 and the Tomb of Dongni built in 353 both departed from the typical brick chamber tomb style of the region, and elements associated with stone chamber tombs were added to them. The Tomb of Dongsu (Anak Tomb No. 3), which is similar to the other two tombs in that its occupant is of Chinese descent, was constructed in 357 not as a brick chamber tomb, but as an earthen mound tomb with a stone chamber. Still, the continuation of brick chamber tomb tradition in the next half century has been somewhat puzzling. Although dated inscribed bricks have served as important evidence for understanding the continuation of the brick chamber tomb tradition, there has been a problem of continually repeating previous studies. It has also been pointed out that there was an error in the interpretation of era names in some of the dated inscribed bricks that had been believed to have been produced in or after 357. For example, "second year of Taean" (Taian in Chinese), which had been understood to correspond to 386 (during the Former Qin Dynasty), in fact refers to 303 (during the reign of Emperor Hui of the Western Jin Dynasty). In the case of "first year of Geonsi" (Jianshi in Chinese), which had been believed to indicate 407 (during the Later Yan Dynasty), it actually refers to 301. "Geonsi" is the era name used during the period when Sima Yun ousted Emperor Hui of the Western Jin Dynasty and briefly occupied imperial throne. Outside these two cases, the remaining dated inscribed bricks thought to have been produced in or after 357 are those dated to the "third year of Wonheung" (Yuanxing in Chinese). However, a reexamination of these bricks reveals that what is really "Yeongheung" (Yongxing in Chinese) has been misread as "Wonheung." The third year of Yeongheung corresponds to either 306 during the Western Jin Dynasty or 352 during the Later Zhao Dynasty, but it is highly probable that it refers to 306. This means that there is no conclusive evidence to support the hypothesis that brick chamber tombs were built in the area until the late fourth century and even into the early fifth. Accordingly, the Tombs of Jang Mui and Dongni should be viewed as the latest known brick chamber tombs to be constructed in the western region of North Korea. Moreover, brick chamber tombs appear to have been no longer built in the area around the time when the Tomb of Dongsu was constructed. These speculations accord with the historical circumstances of the time.
서북한에서 출토된 명문전에서 낙랑·대방군이 완전히 축출된 314년 이후의 연호, 심지어는 5세기 초의 연호가 확인되었다. 2군 소멸 이후에 전축분 조영의 전통이 1세기 동안 이어진 셈인데, 전축분은 고구려 지배층의 묘제로 채택된 바가 없다. 348년 조영된 장무이묘나 353년에 제작된 동리묘는 전형적인 전축분 양식에서 벗어나 석실분의 요소가 가미된 사실이 지적되었고, 장무이나 동리와 비슷한 성격의 존재인 동수의 무덤(안악 3호분)은 357년 석실봉토분으로 조영되었다. 그럼에도 반세기 동안 전축분 조영이 계속되었다는 것은 다소 의문이었다. 기년명전이 중요한 근거가 되었지만, 선행 연구를 반복적으로 재생산했던 문제가 있었다. 357년 이후로 파악했던 일부 기년명전의 경우에는 연호 해석에 오류가 있었음이 지적되기도 했다. 전진 시기인 386년으로 파악했던 '대안(태안) 2년' 명문전은 서진 혜제 시기인 303년으로, 후연 시기인 407년으로 파악한 '건시 원년' 명문전도 301년 서진 혜제를 몰아내고 사마윤이 잠시 제위를 차지했던 시기에 사용한 연호라는 견해였다. 이들 사례를 제외하면 357년 이후에 제작되었다고 알려진 기년명전은 '원흥 3년' 명문전만 남는다. 그런데 명문전을 재검토한 결과 '원흥'은 '영흥'의 오독임을 확인했다. 영흥 3년은 서진대인 306년이나 후조대인 352년에 해당하는데, 306년의 가능성이 크다. 4세기 말, 5세기 초까지 전축분이 조영된 사실을 뒷받침하는 결정적인 근거가 사라진 셈이다. 결국 장무이나 동리의 무덤은 서북한 지역에서 조영된 가장 늦은 시기의 전축분으로 볼 수 있으며, 안악 3호분이 조영될 무렵을 기점으로 서북한 지역에서는 더 이상 전축분의 조영이 이루어지지 않았던 것으로 볼 수 있다. 이러한 양상은 당대의 역사적 상황에도 부합한다.