Goryeo Celadon Kiln Site, Gangjin

These are kiln sites where earthenware and celadon were fired during the Goryeo period, distributed across Yongun-ri, Gyeyul-ri, Sadang-ri and Sudong-ri in Daegu-myeon, Gangjin. To the south, proximity to the sea allowed transport to develop by sea routes, while to the north, mountains large and small nearby provided abundant firewood. The area also yielded kaolin and quartzite, the raw materials of ceramics, giving it excellent conditions for pottery-making. Kiln sites are concentrated on both banks of the Yongun Stream. In Yongun-ri, upstream on the Yongun Stream, 75 kiln sites survive in relatively good condition. Except for a few, most date from the early Goryeo period and are important for clarifying the origins of celadon and the characteristics of early celadon ware. In Gyeyul-ri, 59 kiln sites remain, where many fragments of stylised inlaid celadon (sanggam cheongja) from both the early and late Goryeo period have been found. In Sadang-ri, on the relatively broad plain downstream on the Yongun Stream, there are 43 kiln sites, though they have been badly damaged by stream erosion, land reclamation and looting; these are kiln sites of the middle and late Goryeo period, when celadon of the highest quality was produced, and they are important for showing how the various features of Goryeo celadon changed over time, including the jade-green glaze (bisaek) of celadon's peak period and inlaid celadon. Sudong-ri, a village on the plain south of Sadang-ri, has 6 kiln sites, generally dating from the late Goryeo period, where the shapes and techniques of the ceramics are highly varied and the colours and forms of the glaze are very diverse. In this way, kiln sites spanning the whole of the Goryeo period survive throughout Daegu-myeon, clearly showing the characteristics of each period. Together with the celadon kiln sites of Buan, in Jeollabuk-do, this is one of the central sites for research into Goryeo celadon.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gangjin, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Historic Site · 사적