Chungcheongnam-do

The sarira reliquary set was excavated from the site of a wooden pagoda of Wanghumg-sa Temple in Buyeo and recognized as the perfectly preserved reliquary set comprised of a gold, a silver, a bronze bottles and a casket for the first time in South Korea. This is counted as one of the most momentous excavations after the finding of the Baekje-Gumdong-Daehyangro, an gilt-bronze incense burner showing the culmination of craftsmanship in 1993. On the reliquary box was specified letters revealing that all these were made at the time of King Wideok. Besides, other precious ornaments and accessories were found together. The sarira casket with the height of 10.3cm was found at the southern edge of the rectangular cornerstone and a bronze bottle with a bail, a smaller silver bottle and a smaller gold bottle were piled in the casket. The record that reveals the establishment days of Wanghung-sa(A.D. 577) made scholars know the wrongness of the record in the SamgukSagi, a famous history book about ancient Baekje. Thus, the sarira reliquary set is regarded as an important artifact both in knowing the chronicle of Baekje and the archaeological basic data. And the style of installing the sarira casket on the stone beneath the cornerstone is evaluated as a peculiar style representing the uniqueness and the superiority of Baekje Culture although it was influenced by ancient China at the beginning.