Archaeological Site in Bonghwang-dong, Gimhae

A shell midden, where discarded shells and household refuse accumulated together, is also known as a shell mound and provides a window onto the daily life of the time. Near the hill of Bonghwangdae stand the Hoehyeon-ri shell midden and a variety of tombs dating from different periods. Artefacts excavated from the Hoehyeon-ri shell midden include earthenware, tools made of bone and antler, stone tools, spindle whorls, carbonised rice, Chinese coins known as hwacheon, and animal bones. The earthenware is reddish-brown or greyish-blue in colour, and many knife handles were made by working deer antler or bone. The carbonised rice is an important material for research into ancient rice and agriculture. The hwacheon coin, minted in 14 BCE by Wang Mang of China's Xin dynasty, is important evidence for dating the formation of the site and suggests contact with China. East of the shell midden, dolmens, jar burials in which bones were placed inside earthenware jars, and house sites were found. These tombs are thought to date from the late Bronze Age. The Archaeological Site in Bonghwang-dong, Gimhae, gives insight into the way of life in the southern region of Korea from around the first to fourth centuries CE.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gimhae, Gyeongnam

Designation

Historic Site · 사적