Journey Through Time: Unearthing the Bronze Age Legacy of Hwasun, Korea
Our journey following the river and the stories of the people it has nurtured leads us back to the Bronze Age, dating from the 15th to 3rd centuries BC. At the end of this path lie the archaeological site of Bronze Age artifacts in Daegok-ri, Hwasun, South Jeolla Province, and the dolmen remains. What stories do these giant tombs tell, and what message do their traces convey to us today?
Here in Daegok-ri, we find a fragment of the transformative footsteps left by humanity as it progressed from the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras into the Bronze Age. Moving past the cave dwellings and hunting of the Paleolithic era, and the agriculture and pottery of the Neolithic era, the people of the Bronze Age wielded metal tools and erected massive dolmens, demonstrating the power and authority of their community.
The Daegok-ri Bronze Age archaeological site is like a warehouse preserving the landscapes of life from that time. Sharp bronze swords, intricately patterned mirrors, even palm-sized bells… these artifacts silently testify to the skills and beliefs that guided the people of this land over 3,000 years ago.
On the afternoon of the 7th, following a visit to the Jo Gwang-jo exile site in Neungju, we headed to the Daegok-ri Bronze Age archaeological site. The wind rustling through the rose of Sharon flowers blooming along Jiseok-ro road seemed to carry the layered breaths of those who lived on this land long ago.
The archaeological site is situated on a gentle hill next to the Jiseokcheon Stream, and just over 2 km across the river lies the Hwasun Dolmen Site. Both sites are nestled along the Jiseokcheon, making it clear that this river has long been a foundation for life and culture.
In the winter of 1971, in the Junghansil village of Daegok-ri, Dogok-myeon, Hwasun-gun, South Jeolla Province, a resident was digging a drainage ditch outside his house fence when glittering metal fragments appeared from the soil. Dagger-shaped bronze swords, fine-lined mirrors, eight-sided bells, double-headed bells, axes, chisels… a total of 11 items. These artifacts were almost sold to a candy seller, but were reported to the South Jeolla Provincial Office, leading to an excavation by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage.
Standing at the site, I realized that this was not just a discovery site, but a stage holding thousands of years of history. The remains were a Bronze Age stone-mound coffin tomb. The structure consisted of a pit dug in two stages, with a log coffin approximately 180cm long and 60cm wide placed inside, topped with 3-4 layers of stones to cover the mound.
Recalling the artifacts displayed in the showcases alongside the actual discovery site deepened their significance. The sharp blade of the dagger-shaped bronze sword, the delicate patterns alive on the fine-lined mirror, the bell that must have held a subtle resonance… all of these conveyed the authority and wealth of the Bronze Age ruling class, and the power of the community.
Hwasun Dolmen Park consists of 596 dolmens densely situated along the Bogeomjae valley, from Hyosan-ri in Dogok-myeon to Daesin-ri in Chunyang-myeon. Each group of dolmens, each with its own name, contains its own stories and legends.
Dolmens are scattered across plains, hills, and even within villages, making it clear that this area has been a stage for life, death, and power since prehistoric times. Walking the Pingmae Rock Course (8km round trip) from the Dolmen Culture Park to the Daesin-ri excavation site, we can learn about the history, characteristics, and construction process of the dolmens.
Dolmens are giant tombs built in prehistoric times, constructed for the ruling class or leaders of the community. A burial chamber was created by digging into the ground, and a large stone was placed on top as a capstone to replace the mound. This process required the labor and skill of many people, making it an important clue to the power and social structure of the community.
Among these, the Hwasun Dolmen Site is outstanding in terms of its size and preservation status, and the Pingmae Rock is particularly famous as one of the largest capstones in the world, measuring 7m in length, 4m in height, and weighing over 200 tons. The process by which this massive stone was transported from the quarry to this location remains a mystery.
It is estimated that dolmen construction involved selecting a flat, well-drained site, quarrying or obtaining the capstone, and transporting it using transport routes and log rails with the combined efforts of many people. It is highly likely that Pingmae Rock was constructed in this way as well.
In this way, the Daegok-ri and Dolmen Site in Hwasun are a vast legacy that testifies to the lives, skills, and communal power of people thousands of years ago. The dolmen sites in Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa were designated as World Heritage Sites in 2000, recognized as outstanding cultural heritage that must be protected by all of humanity.
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