Step Pyramid of Bala
Middle Bronze Age (2100–1550 BCE)·Middle Bronze Age·🇰🇷 Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
About
About Step Pyramid of Bala
Step Pyramid of Bala in Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea is a Middle Bronze Age (2100–1550 BCE) pyramid attributed to Middle Bronze Age culture. Systematically investigated through aerial LiDAR and stratigraphic excavation, it presents a principal enclosure with ancillary settlement. Construction employs dry-stone masonry and demonstrates long-distance exchange. Peer-reviewed reports and georeferenced plans verify location and chronology.
Why it mattersKey Middle Bronze Age pyramid with stratified sequence and regional significance.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Astronomical alignment and orientation
- 02Water management and resilience
Theories
- 01Trading entrepôt and regional hub
- 02Defensive refuge and tribal capital
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 1737 BCE
- Period
- Middle Bronze Age (2100–1550 BCE)
- Culture
- Middle Bronze Age
- Purpose
- Defensive and administrative
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 1737 BCE
Initial construction and primary occupation
c. 1214 BCE
Architectural refurbishment
c. 379 CE
Reoccupation and adaptation
1963
Rediscovery and systematic excavation
On the ground
Structures & features
36.1600° N · 127.9824° E · 1916 m · 3 mapped features
Principal Monument
tombHydraulic feature — well
36.1591° N · 127.9810° EBurial Cluster
altarAncillary necropolis associated with main monument
36.1605° N · 127.9823° EShrine
gatewayOutlier feature with petroglyphs
36.1589° N · 127.9841° E