• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.24-36
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• 2022

The Bonghwang-dong ruins in Gimhae, the central area of Geumgwan Gaya, is presumed to be the site of the royal palace, and excavations have been in progress at the Gaya National Cultural Heritage Research Institute. According to a research conducted by lowering the level to the base layer on the north side of the site, mostly shell layers composed of oysters were confirmed, and soil composed of different material was alternately filled in to form a site construction. In other words, it can be seen that there was work at the site of the Bonghwang-dong ruins that required large-scale labor, such as building ramparts and embankments. There is stratigraphic confusion such as showing different age values in the same shell layer through a chronological analysis of organic matter and charcoal in the sedimentary layer, and deriving a result value in the upper layer ahead of the lower layer. In addition, open-sea diatoms are observed not only in the sedimentary layers, but also the pits. Therefore, it is judged that the soil constituting the ruins was brought from the outside. The Bonghwang-dong ruins are located inside the commonly called Bonghwang earthen ramparts, where many excavation organizations conducted research within the estimated range of the earthen fortifications. As a result, it was found that it was similar to the sedimentary layers of the ruins of the Three Kingdoms Period, which were investigated along with the ruins of Bonghwang-dong. Through this, the surrounding ruins, including those of Bonghwang-dong, were located close to paleo-Gimhae Bay, so it is believed that the soil brought from the surroundings was used to reinforce the ground. As a result of the excavation research on the Bonghwang-dong ruins conducted so far, it was found by sedimentary layer analysis and soil experiments that the ruins were created on stable land. Relics excavated in the sediments of the ruins and carbon dating data show that Bonghwang-dong carried out large-scale civil construction work in the 4th century to build the site, which clearly shows the status of Geumgwan Gaya.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.40-52
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• 2023

The basic purpose of building material called tiles is waterproofing and damp proofing, and they were restricted to use on important buildings to symbolize authority. This is especially true during the Three Kingdoms period, although unearthed examples are rare. Most of these tiles are found in ruins in the Silla and Baekje regions. Tiles were excavated from the Buwon-dong ruins that show the oldest manufacturing technique in the Gaya region to date, and tiles from the early Three Kingdoms period were recently excavated from the Gimhae Bonghwang-dong ruins, which is presumed to be the site of the royal palace of Geumgwan Gaya. These are important materials that show the appearance of tiles from the early days of Gimhae, the ancient capital of Geumgwan Gaya. The tiles excavated from the Bonghwang-dong ruins are reddish-yellow because a small amount of sand was mixed in the tile material and baked at a low temperature. The tiles are thin, no traces of fabric were identified, but traces of clay bands were identified. Tapping tool marks and traces of an anvil used in pottery production are clearly observed on the inside and outside, indicating that the tiles were made in the same way as earthenware manufacturing methods. If this is connected to the genealogy of the potters who made Gaya earthenware, it is estimated that tiles and earthenware were produced together as in the Songrim-ri ruins in Bulo-dong, Incheon, Songgok-dong ruins in Gyeongju, and Mulcheon-ri ruins. To date, tiles excavated from the Gimhae area have been identified only in places believed to be the Geumgwan Gaya City Wall (Royal Palace) in the Gimhae Basin. Considering what has been recorded so far and the geographical scenery, the Bonghwang-dong remains are the only city wall candidate site, and this is clearly revealed through the existence of the excavated tiles, which proves this. Considering that a small number of tiles were excavated during this time, it is estimated that the role of tiles as a luxury product with a symbolic meaning was greater than that of roofing materials, and there were strict restrictions and controls on its use.