Seondol in Seogu-ri, Yeoju

Together with dolmens, a seondol — a natural stone, or a natural stone partly shaped, that is erected as an object of worship — is a form of megalithic culture from the Bronze Age. Seondol served various functions and meanings. A seondol erected alongside a dolmen functioned as a grave marker (myopyoseok) signalling a burial space, while a seondol set up at a village entrance served to protect the village, warding off evil or guarding its watercourse. A seondol erected in paddies and fields, or on a low hill overlooking them, carried the meaning of praying for abundance. Seondol also served as boundary markers and milestones. Bronze Age artefacts were excavated at the Jincheon-dong seondol in Daegu, and since seondol are found alongside dolmens at many sites, it can be said that seondol in Korea were built from the Bronze Age onward. The Seogu-ri seondol stands on a low hill commanding a view of Geumdangcheon Stream and the surrounding fields, with more than ten dolmens distributed nearby. It is worked from granite into a somewhat thick shape and stands about 2.45 m tall. Given the concentration of dolmens around it, the Seogu-ri seondol appears to have been erected to mark and protect a Bronze Age burial ground.

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Where it is

Region

Yeoju, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물