On June 2, 2009, a rare and remarkable discovery was made during the excavation of Silla tomb C10 at the Jjoksaem District in Gyeongju. Within a single wooden chamber tomb, archaeologists unearthed a complete set of equestrian equipment—saddles, stirrups, and horse armor—alongside a fully intact suit of lamellar armor and its accessories. This unprecedented find provides invaluable insight into the precise appearance of Silla’s heavily armored cavalry in the 5th century and even enables comparative restoration of similar armored figures depicted in Goguryeo wall paintings.
Based on the measurements of the excavated armor and the perforation patterns on the lamellae, TRIC developed a restoration plan for the yangdang-style lamellar armor. The plan was finalized through consultations with subject-matter experts.
Using the confirmed restoration design, TRIC digitally reconstructed tomb C10 and its cavalry armor in 3D. Under the direction of lead researcher Sanghoon Lee, the team developed a 4-minute-40-second stereoscopic video viewable without 3D glasses.
The final output of the project is currently on display at the Jjosam Ruins Excavation Hall.
