Sea Area with Sunken Relics near Doripo Port, Muan

This is a sea area off Doripo, Songseok-ri, Haeje-myeon, Muan, where Goryeo celadon lies buried on the seabed. The water here averages 8–10 m in depth, and the seabed consists of a mixture of mud and sand. The site first came to light when civilian divers recovered around 120 artefacts. Three subsequent seasons of excavation retrieved 639 pieces of Goryeo celadon. The excavated wares are thought to be inlaid celadon, and together with early fourteenth-century ceramics recovered from the seas off Sinan and off Jukdo Island, Boryeong, they provide useful material for examining the forms and decorative patterns of celadon. The celadon is presumed to have been produced at the kiln site in Misan village, Sadang-ri, Daegu-myeon, Gangjin, and judging from the decoration, it is thought to have been used by the royal court and government offices. The patterns — clouds, phoenixes, chrysanthemums, peonies, lotus flowers, and willows — were rendered using a stamping technique. These decorative features appear at the point when Goryeo celadon, having reached its peak in the twelfth century, began to show new shapes and patterns under the social changes of the late thirteenth century and the influence of the Yuan dynasty. The site provides important material for the study of late-Goryeo celadon, and is also valuable evidence for research into the chronological development of decorative patterns. It marks the starting point of the transition toward Joseon-period buncheong ware.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Muan, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Historic Site · 사적