From the 1900s (decade) to the early 1970s, Gyeongju had remained relatively small and all glories of the past were gone. In the early 20th century many archaeological excavations took place, mostly on the many tombs which survived the centuries fairly well. A museum, the forerunner of the present-day Gyeongju National Museum, was set up in 1915 to exhibit the finds. The excavations of this period, largely carried out by Japanese archaeologists, are often accused of recklessness and plunder, although others take a more neutral view. Few excavation reports were ever published.
