Jungmakdong Archaeological Site, Buan

The Jungmakdong Archaeological Site, Buan, sits atop a coastal cliff at the protruding western tip of the Byeonsan Peninsula, on a key route of maritime exchange with China, Japan and elsewhere in East Asia; from ancient times to the present, maritime rites praying for safe voyages and a bountiful catch have continued to be held here. Excavations in 1992 recovered a wide range of artefacts made in Baekje, Gaya, Unified Silla and Joseon, as well as in ancient China and Japan — ritual earthenware, metal objects, clay and stone imitation objects, and Chinese ceramics — most dating from the late 3rd to the early 7th century. These finds show that people from various countries, including China and Japan, took part in the rites performed here, and that ritual vessels and other items were buried in the ground once each ceremony was over. The Jungmakdong site preserves, together with its surrounding cultural landscape, the traces of ancient, primitive rites performed atop a coastal cliff, and shows the changing course of maritime ritual culture from the Baekje through to the Joseon period. It remains a site of great value today, carrying the legend of Gaeyanghalmi, a sea goddess said to guard the waters off the Byeonsan Peninsula and help fishermen, and hosting an annual Yongwangje (Dragon King Rite) praying for a good catch.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Buan, Jeonbuk

Designation

Historic Site · 사적