Ancient Korean Crown Encrusted with Rare Jewel Beetle Wings Unveils Stunning Secrets from 1,400 Years Ago
Picture this: a crown, buried for 1,400 years in a pretty unassuming tomb in South Korea, suddenly unveils its true glory—adorned with jewel beetle wings that once dazzled with emerald hues. Yep, archaeologists first uncovered this gem back in 2020, but it took a careful second look (and a bit of detective work with 15 of those iridescent wings) to realize they’d hit the royal jackpot from the Silla Kingdom era. It makes you wonder—what other treasures might be hiding in plain sight, waiting for someone to say, “Hey, that’s not just dirt… that’s history!” This discovery doesn’t just add sparkle to ancient rituals, it flips a new page on how we see the art and culture of a kingdom that really knew how to shine—literally. Ready to dive deeper into this shimmering piece of the past? LEARN MORE
The crown was initially discovered during excavations in 2020, but now a closer look has revealed just how spectacular it really is.
Korea Heritage ServiceAlthough many of the beetle wings have lost their color, a few retained their hue even after 1,400 years underground.
Archaeologists have unearthed a stunning, first-of-its-kind artifact from an ancient tomb in Gyeongju, South Korea. During excavations at a burial dubbed Tomb 120-2, they came across a 1,400-year-old ceremonial crown adorned with jewel beetle wings atop the skull of an elite who lived during the Silla Kingdom.
The wings were inlaid into upside-down heart-shaped perforations on the crown. Although the initial discovery was made in 2020, the wings were difficult to immediately identify because they had lost their color over the years. It was only after conservators were able to gather 15 of the wings — seven of which were still embedded in the crown — that they realized what they had found.
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