Dolmens in Jungnim-ri, Gochang

A jiseongmyo is one type of prehistoric tomb, also known as a dolmen. More than 440 dolmens are clustered along about 1.8 km of low hill slopes centred on Maesan village in Jungnim-ri, Asan-myeon, Gochang. They are communal burials of Bronze Age people from around 400–500 BCE, apparently the family tombs of the chieftains who ruled this region. The people who lived here at the time appear to have settled in this area for its low hills and land well suited to farming. The site contains every type of dolmen found in Korea — the go-board-shaped southern type, the table-shaped northern type, and the capstone-only type — making it very important for understanding the origin and character of dolmens. The dolmens around Sanggap-ri, Asan-myeon, mark the southern limit of the northern-type dolmen and are a site of high scholarly value. Because dolmens allow us to understand prehistoric culture, and even offer a glimpse into the social structure, political system, and spiritual world of the people of the time, the site is recognised as a highly valuable relic and an important resource for prehistoric research; it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 2000.

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Where it is

Region

Gochang, Jeonbuk

Designation

Historic Site · 사적