A study on the traditional salt-making of the Joolpo inlet area during the 18th and 19th century

18~19世紀 茁浦灣의 煮鹽 - 鹽場의 分布와 煮鹽法을 중심으로 -

Among every civilized people salt has been recognized as an essential foodstuff to the human society without which even man's survivor is unthinkable. The cultural-anthropological meaning of salt is estimated highly as well, and in geographical perspective salt itself symbolize regional interrelationship. Playing a decisive role in freeing innermost settlement from isolation, salt aiso made a contribution to expanding human habitats. This study tries to reconstruct historica geography of 18th and 19th century surrounding traditional salt-roasting (chayeom). The Joolpo Inlet area which is located on the mid-western coast in Honem Region is selected for study area. Established on the basis of optimum physical geographical conditions such as topography, climate and vegetation, salt-making of Joolpo Inlet area was run dynamically with the sudden turn of events in the 18-19th century which was chacterized as an age of transition from medieval society to modern one. In this paper the writer attempts to clarify mainly following three points: physical conditions and socio-economic background leading to the initiation and later development of roasting of salt in Joolpo Bay; distribution of saltworks; methods of saltmaking. Main points drawn from these analyses can be summarized as follows: of iron pan and cow-drawn tools rendered labour-saving and output growth. 1, Saltworks of Joolpo Inlet area in the 18-19th century were distributed evenly over Kobu, Puan, Mujang and Heungduck counties among which Kobu's was located in Puanmyon - a sort of exclave. All saltworks belonging to above four counties were clasified as most lucrative ones in Honam Region on government archives. In particular, Gumdang saltwork which belongs to Mujang county is noteworthy in that it was first introduced by one Paekje priest in 6th century and therefore it provides a clue to examine the history of salt-roasting of Joolpo Inlet area. In light of the fact that temple or monastery economy, regardless of East and West, has been closely connected with traditional industry, the case of Gumdang is not unusual. 2. The process of saltmaking follows this order: harrowing of salt field exposed to solar heat; construction of saltern mound with saline earth; acquiring of brine by leaching saline earth; roasting of salt. Salterns (saltworks) are consisted with various salt making facilities such as roasting shed, saltern mound, salt field, salt well) salt pit or brine pit) and seawater reservoir. Among them roasting shed which is constructed chiefly with hundreds of pieces of pine tree as a frame and with straw as roof and wall is customarily considered as an unit of saltwork. And inside it is saltpan made of two kinds of materials, that is iron pan or plaster pan. The area attached to one unit of roasting shed is approximately 1 ha, and that of saltern mound is a tenth of it.

본 논문은 18세기에서 19세기에 이르는 전환기적 시기에 줄포만에서 행해진 자염을 소재로하여 당 지역의 역사지리적 경관복원을 시도해 본 것이다. 먼저 자염업의 성립배경과 관련해서 줄포만은 넓은 간석지를 근간으로 한 지형적 측면을 포함해 조석, 기후, 식생, 토 양 등 자연지리적 제 조건의 혜택하에 염업이 활성화 될 수 있었다. 사회경제적으로는 인구 증가, 농민층의 분해, 교환경제및 어업의 발달 등이 자염발달의 촉발요인이 되었다. 당시의 염장은 고부, 부안, 홍덕, 무장 등 4개 군현에 걸쳐 분포하였으며, 이 가운데 고부의 것은 월 경지인 부안면에 소재한 것으로 밝혀졌다. 그리고 본지역 자염의 기원지는 무장의 검당으로 비정하였다. 주요 제염설비에는 염막, 염전, 섯등, 염정, 염조, 염부 등이 있었고 실 작업에는 제염도구로 재래농기구가 동원되었다. 제염은 물때에 맞추어 행해지며 섯등굴착. 염토살포, 염밭갈이, 섯등구축, 염수회득, 자염의 과정을 거쳐 화염을 얻어내는 형태를 취하였다.