• Title/Summary/Keyword: Koguryo Archaeology

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On the Studies of Koguryo Archaeology in North Korea (북한의 고구려 고고학 조사·연구의 성과와 과제)

  • Kang, Hyunsook
    • Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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    • v.53 no.1
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    • pp.106-125
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    • 2020
  • From 1949 to the present day, many Koguryo sites have been excavated, in North Korea. It can also be said that archaeological surveys and studies in North Korea have triggered Koguryo archaeological studies in South Korea. However, since the 1990s, the excavation of Koguryo sites and archaeological research in North Korea has been carried out as an extension of Daedonggang culture. Therefore, these archaeological surveys focused on the Pyongyang and more general northwestern areas of North Korea, and the conclusion was that Koguryo was a powerful nation with a millennium-long history inherited Gojoseon. Beginning in 1945 in North Korea, the archaeological surveys and related systems were organized, and burial mounds, castles, and city remains were excavated under the idea that Koguryo was a millennium-long, strong nation. In addition, archaeological research has been conducted to validate and confirm this belief. On the notion that Koguryo was founded in 277 BCE, it was insisted that the age of the tombs in Pyongyang was increased and Pyongyang took the position as a Vice Capital in the 4th Century. Recently an excavation of the castle located in Pyongyang supports the idea that Koguryo inherited Gojoseon on a layered basis. However, the archaeological and conceptual grounds for the founding of Koguryo in the 3rd Century BCE or the succession of Gojoseon and Koguryo were insufficient. As can be seen from the reconstruction of the royal tombs of the Dongmyung and Dangun, the archaeological surveys in North Korea were criticized for their selective discoveries and arbitrary interpretations. This further supports the necessity for joint excavations and academic exchanges between South and North Korea.

Reconsideration of Iron Arrowheads from Mongchon Earthen Wall (몽촌토성출토 철촉 재고 (夢村土城出土 鐵鏃 再考))

  • Choe, Jong-Taek
    • Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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    • v.33
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    • pp.68-92
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    • 2000
  • This paper reconsiders the users of iron arrowheads from Mongchon Earthen Wall(夢村土城). Because the Mongchon Earthen Wall has been seen as a major dwelling fort of the Hansong Period(漢城時代 : 18 B.C.~475), Paekche(百濟), these iron arrowheads have been considered as artifacts of the Hansong Paekche with no systematic analysis since they were found in 1985. However, uncovering numerous Koguryo artifacts, the excavations in 1988 and 1989 showed that Koguryo(高句麗) army had occupied the Mongchon Earthen Wall after they had conquered Hansong Paekche. In this paper, focusing on the formal similarity between these arrowheads and those from other Koguryo sites, I attempt to reconsider the nature of arrowheads from the Mongchon Earthen Wall. Found from a small pit, all of these arrowheads (88 in number) seem to have been contemporaneous. While all are stemmed, they can be divided into nine types on the basis of the shape of body and point. Most types are equal or similar to Koguryo arrowheads of other regions, and especially type F and G have not been found in southern Korean Peninsula. Accordingly, it is suggested that the existing models be reconsidered, and that Koguryo army who had conquered Hansong Paekche used these arrowheads around mid-5th century AD. Although at this point it is difficult to determine the users of these arrowheads only by analyzing several formal attributes due to Korean archaeology's little understanding of the arrowheads of the Three Kingdoms Period(三國時代), I expect that application of natural scientific methods will contribute to a better understanding.

The Significance and Utilization of the Jungwon Historical and Cultural Area (중원역사문화권 설정의 의미와 활용 방안)

  • SEONG, Jeongyong;YANG, Sieun
    • Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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    • v.54 no.3
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    • pp.204-227
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    • 2021
  • This paper proposed the validity and necessity of establishing the Jungwon Historical and Cultural Area by reviewing the historical characteristics of the name Jungwon and its temporal and spatial range. We also explored ways to utilize the Jungwon historical and cultural Area under the Special Act on the Maintenance of Historical and Cultural Areas. Jungwon, which means the center of the country, has strategic value as a key area connecting the Korean Peninsula to the north and south through the Geripryeong and Jukryeong. It also includes Chungju, which connects the Namhan and Bukhan Rivers . From the Mahan period, the areas of Cheongju and Jincheon, the Miho Stream basin to the west, and Chungju to the east were closely connected to each other. Afterwards, Baekje, Koguryo, and Silla engaged in a fierce battle to occupy the Jungwon area. Jungwon culture was born through the negotiation and fusion of the cultures of the three kingdoms. In particular, Silla continued to value the Jungwon area, demonstrated by the installation of Seowongyeong in Cheongju and Bukwongyeong in Wonju, centering on the Jungwongyeong. Since we have a historical view with a focus on ancient kingdoms, we have overlooked the full value of the history and culture of Jungwon. We need to recognize the importance of Jungwon area and think about how to utilize it. Therefore, we suggested in this paper that there be more public information services on the cultural heritage of Jungwon, the historical heritage experience, and the education programs for local residents. The development and operation of Jungwon's history, culture, and tourism contents, as well as the various academic research papers should be used to reveal the identity of the Jungwon historical and cultural area.

An Archaeological Review of the Inscribed Bricks Excavated from the Tomb of Jang Mui: A Focus on the Collection of the National Museum of Korea (장무이묘 출토 명문전(銘文塼)의 고고학적 검토 -국립중앙박물관 소장품을 중심으로)

  • Lee Nakyung
    • Bangmulgwan gwa yeongu (The National Museum of Korea Journal)
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    • v.1
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    • pp.36-73
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    • 2024
  • The Tomb of Jang Mui located in Bongsan-gun, Hwanghae-do Province has attracted much attention since its first investigation due to the inscribed bricks found there that have allowed the guessing of the name and official title of its occupant and construction date. Inscriptions on these bricks, such as the "Prefect of Daebang Commandery Jang Mui" and the "Mu" (戊, the fifth sign of the Chinese calendar), and "Sin" (申, the ninth sign of the Chinese zodiac), have become the basis for believing the location of the government office of Daebang Commandery to be in Bongsangun, Hwanghae-do Province rather than somewhere in the Hangang River region. From the early days of its investigation, the tomb was suggested as historic remains of the Daebang Commandery along with the Earthen Fortress in Jitap-ri. Inscribed bricks excavated from the Tomb of Jang Mui were featured in several books and articles in the form of photographs and rubbings, leading to a vast body of studies on its construction period and the characteristics of its occupant that drew upon interpretations of the inscriptions. However, the inscribed bricks themselves were not publicly available outside those held in the collection of the University of Tokyo, making it difficult to expect consistent research findings on the types of inscribed bricks and their contents. Following previous studies re-examining the structure of the tomb and the materials used for its construction, most scholars dated the Tomb of Jang Mui to 348, a period after the collapse of Daebang Commandery. However, there is still a lack of adequate examination of the bricks, which account for the majority of the artifacts excavated from the tomb. Among the bricks excavated from most brick chamber tombs, including the Tomb of Jang Mui, only those with inscriptions or designs have been collected. Moreover, among these, only those with inscriptions or designs on the stretcher faces have been documented. Accordingly, the bricks themselves have been notably understudied. This paper intends to reorganize the contents of the inscriptions on eleven types (out of sixty-one pieces) of bricks in the collection of the National Museum of Korea, which make up the majority of the bricks excavated from the Tomb of Jang Mui. It also classified them according to their shapes. Furthermore, it examined the bricks from the Tomb of Jang Mui as architectural materials by focusing on their production techniques, including their forming, drying, and firing. Taking a more specific approach, it then compared the results to other bricks from the second century through the fourth century: those from the brick chamber tombs of the Nangnang and Daebang Commanderies and those from the brick chamber tombs built after Nangnang and Daebang Commanderies were ousted. The examination of bricks from the Tomb of Jang Mui has revealed that these bricks were basically produced using the brick manufacturing techniques of Nangnang, but they incorporated new elements found in bricks from brick chamber tombs or brick-and-stone chamber tombs constructed around the mid-fourth century in terms of their size, the use of lime, and the number of inscribed bricks. This supports the prevailing view that the date of the construction of the Tomb of Jang Mui is 348. The Tomb of Jang Mui sustained the existing brick chamber tomb burial tradition, but its ceiling was finished with stone. It demonstrates a blending of the brick chamber tomb practice of the Nangnang and Daebang Commanderies by using bricks produced based on related techniques, but with new elements such as the addition of a lime layer to the bricks. This fusion reflects the political circumstances of its time, such as the expulsion of the Daebang Commandery and the advance of the Goguryeo Kingdom, leading to diverse interpretations. Given archaeological evidence such as the structure, materials, and location of the tomb, the Tomb of Jang Mui appears to be highly related to the Goguryeo Kingdom. However, the forms of the inscribed bricks and the contents of the inscriptions share similarities with brick chamber tombs constructed during the third and fourth centuries in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions in China. Further studies on whether the use of lime was an influence from Goguryeo or a continuation of the Daebang tradition and a comparative examination with contemporaneous stone ceiling tombs will provide a more refined understanding of the Tomb of Jang Mui.