Jonam-ri Dolmen

Dolmens are the representative tomb type of the Bronze Age, known chiefly as the burial places of a ruling class with economic wealth or political power. A dolmen typically consists of a huge capstone exposed above ground, beneath which are supporting stones, a grave-boundary facility and a burial chamber, though the form varies considerably by region and period. In general, dolmens are classified as table-style, in which the burial chamber sits above ground, or board-style (also called go-board-style), in which it lies below ground. A further type, in which the burial chamber lies below ground but there are no supporting stones beneath the huge capstone, is classified separately as capstone-style, or support-less style. The Jonam-ri Dolmen stands on a gentle slope in a valley at an elevation of 34 m, among hills close to the west coast. It is a table-style dolmen, built by erecting supporting stones above ground to form a burial chamber and covering them with a capstone. The capstone is of gneiss, close to a long rectangle in shape, and is very large, measuring 4.18 m in length. Its upper surface bears 23 cup marks (seonghyeol), varying in cross-section between hemispherical, top-shaped and conical. Three of the four sides of supporting stones survive, all but the west side; the south and north supporting stones measure 2.3–2.4 m in length and 0.9–0.6 m in height, a size sufficient for a burial chamber in which an adult body could be laid out straight.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Siheung, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물