Gurye Bongseo-ri Dolmen Group

Dolmens are the representative tomb type of the Bronze Age, also known as "goindol", and are generally understood to be the graves of a ruling class who held economic wealth or political power. Korea's dolmens are divided into the table-type, in which four support stones are set up to form a stone chamber with a huge flat capstone placed on top, and the go-board type, in which a stone chamber is built underground with small support stones set up before a capstone is laid over it. The Bongseo-ri dolmens stand on the bank of the Seomjingang River, and artefacts from the proto-Three Kingdoms period are scattered in the surrounding area. Twelve dolmens are arranged in an oval around the largest, which measures 3.1 m in length and 1.95 m in width, while the rest are less than 2–3 m. What is notable about this group of dolmens is that a tortoise-shell pattern has been realistically carved onto one capstone. In its realistic style and overall technique, this carving resembles Unified Silla sculpture, and given that Buddhist carvings survive nearby, it is thought to be connected with Buddhism. The tortoise-shell carving also shows the fusion of the megalithic beliefs associated with dolmens and the later tortoise worship symbolising longevity, and together with the oval arrangement it is regarded as valuable material for dolmen research.

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Where it is

Region

Gurye, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물