This study examined the structural characteristics of the royal tomb equipped with only rail stones in the early Joseon Dynasty. Bongneung(封陵: the burial mound of royal tomb) equipped with only rail stones was constructed from 1468 to 1632. During this period, Hyeongung(玄宮: the underground chamber for the coffin of the king or queen) was constructed with lime. When the Hyeongung is completed, the soil is covered with a thickness of 1 foot parallel to the ground surface. On top of that, as the base of the Bongneung, the rail ground stone is constructed with a height of about 1.5 to 2 feet. The inside of the rail ground stone is also firmly filled with soil. On top of this, semicircular lime is installed with a convex center. Lastly the soil is divided and compacted several times to form a hill, and then covered with grass to complete the Bongneung. The notable feature is that between the Hyeongung made of lime and the Bongneung made of soil, the rail ground stone serves as a stylobate with the inside compacted by the soil.

This is a study on the structural changes of the tumulus and causes setting up a Sabangseok at the front of the tumulus at the royal tomb in the JoSeon dynasty, during the 17th~18th centuries. The Sabangseok was first used in the tumulus of Mongnueng(穆陵) in 1630. It is a multipurpose stone for boundary, foundation of the tumulus and blocking the sliding down of the tumulus. It was set up, when constructing a Yeongneung(寧陵) in 1673. But the vast spill of tumulus soil made it improve structure of the Sabangseok. Consequently, when the Yeongneung was re-constructed, the structure of the tumulus was fundamentally improved. The soil layer on the lime of the subterranean chamber became eliminated. Also the lime of the tumulus and the lime of the subterranean chamber became a united structure. The Sabangseok was still used until 1757 on account of precedents, although it would become unnecessary after structural improvement of the tumulus in 1673. In 1757, Yeongjo(The 21th monarch of the Joseon Dynasty) commanded repeal on the use of the Sabangseok, when constructing the Hongneung(tomb of Queen Jeongseong) . The decision and discussions about abolition on the use of the Sabangseok was recorded in Gukjosangryebopyeon.

In the early of Joseon Dynasty, Royal Tomb developed from stone chamber tomb to lime chamber tomb through precedents. The lime chamber tomb consists of main-chamber(JeongGwang) and sub-chamber(ToeGwang). This separation makes character to construct tumulus of the Royal Tomb half and half. By this character, the Royal Tomb are not constructed by separate structure but constructed by coadjustment. The underground structure and tumulus of the Royal Tomb affect each other in the size and method of construction. The selecting type of Royal Tomb is generally made decision through terrain and politics. This study prove the architectural structure is also one of the major cause the that select type of Royal Tomb.

This study investigates the relationship of two architectures ‘Kim Sa-haeng’ and ‘Park Ja-cheong.’ They were the architects whose architecture were established and well known however they were not acknowledged by the people. Because they were not revealed under the large-scale national construction in complicated circumstances at home and abroad. The results were as follows; First, Kim Sa-haeng who was an overseas architect in Yuan dynasty stood out in all areas of architecture. Particularly in making royal tombs; His works were recognized as the most beautiful royal tombs ever existed and was later on followed by the Joseon dynasty. Second, Park completed the construction of Joseon's by faithfully reflecting on the discussed process of Neo-Confucian while coming after the time of the construction of Kim Sa-haeng. Third, although Kim Sa-haeng was a vassal of the Buddhist nation in Goryeo, he built the Moon-myo, a Confucian inspired temple of Joseon. Park Ja-cheong, who continued to build Kim Sa-haeng's architecture, reproduced Kim Sa-haeng's confucian's temple of Joseon dynasty while modifying it according to the situation in Joseon dynasty. The constructions of the two architects' monuments continues unabatedly. Their architecture has continued without massive changes.

This study is related to excavation from ruins the memorial structure within the Jeongreung royal tomb. There are experimental assertion on the basis of results of the excavation, historical records. The location of the memorial structure is identified in picture of Sunwonbogam(선원보감), records of Chunkwantongho(春官通考). The memorial structure have 6 rooms where lay in 250 steps(步) from the south of Hongjeonmun gate, lotus pond lay in southeast of the structure recorded on Chunkwantongho that's guide book to manners. It's matched in the location as result of excavation. The building site consists of main house(윗채), outhouse(아래채) that's stationed in stepped. It seems that main house as the memorial structure have 6 rooms. It's used as outhouse for facilities attached to the main. It's characterized the memorial structure within the Jeongreung royal tomb that's stationed main house, outhouse in stepped it using natural ground. It's estimated that it's tried to conservation for building site, fence etc. in next several time. With regard to constructing time of the structure, traces involved to first construction is simple: 2 chimneys in flower bed, fence, a part of stone elevation, drains by using rectangular stone. It shows that the building site had been reconstructed or renovated during Gho-jong King 37s year of the Choson dynasty(A.D.1900). It seems that the memorial structure during approximately 300 years in existence from Hyeon-jong King 10s year of the Choson dynasty(A.D.1669) to the late 1960s.

On behalf of the royal women, SangGung(尙宮:The head of female servants in the palace) and NaIns(內人: Female servants caring for royal families in the palace) were dispatched in order to attend a funeral at the royal tomb. The NaInGaGa(內人假家) is the temporary building for SangGung and NaIns in the royal tomb. It is comprised of lodgings for them and also workrooms and warehouses to prepare ritual offering for the dead King or Queen. In the early Joseon dynasty, the NaInGaGa was utilized until a funeral at the royal tomb. Since 1674, NaInGaGa for the 3 years-period lamentation was started constructing separately. At these processes, the plan and placement of NaInGaGa was changed. This study based on the SanReungDoGam-EuiGwae (山陵都監-儀軌: The report on constructing royal tomb). The SanReungDoGam-EuiGwae written since 1800 have illustration about NaInGaGa. The illustration and explanation about NaInGaGa become a important clue that make suppose detailed space of NaInGaGa

Although the royal tomb keeper's house in the late Joseon period did not undergo dramatic changes, overall, the keeper's house of Yeong Mausoleum, the tomb of King Hyojong, and other royal tombs afterward showed the classification of its rooms according to their purpose and the expansion of its size. During King Yeongjo's reign, the tomb keeper's house tended to consist of Jaesil, Anhyangcheong, Jeonsacheong and Haenggak. The size and arrangement pattern of the tomb keeper's house of Yeong Mausoleum were partially maintained in royal mausoleums constructed afterward. Especially Anhyangcheong was first established in the tomb keeper's house of Yeong Mausoleum and its architectural form was maintained until that of Ye Mausoleum, the tomb of King Cheoljong. The tomb keeper's house of Yeong Mausoleum in Yeoju was constructed in 1659 and then moved in 1673 and 1674. In order to bury King Hyojong's wife with King Hyojong, the site of Yeong Mausoleum was moved twice with using almost all materials used for the initial tomb. In addition, as norms related to rites performed at royal tombs were created in the early 20th century, the tomb keeper's house of Yeong Mausoleum was selected as an exemplary tomb keeper's house representing the royal tomb keeper's house of the Joseon era, and it mostly coincides with its remaining arrangement pattern. Through records distributed in relatively similar periods, it is considered that most of the features of royal tomb keeper's house in the Joseon period have been inherited until today and that Yeong Mausoleum has a very higher architectural status as an especially valuable tomb keeper's house among royal tomb keeper's houses in the Joseon era.