Seocheon Dangjeong-ri Tumuli

The Dangjeong-ri tumuli are thought to have been built mainly from the late sixth to the early seventh century. A survey of part of the site has revealed 21 Baekje-period tombs in a notably dense cluster, comprising a variety of burial types, including tombs with a horizontal-entry stone chamber, tombs with a horizontal-opening stone chamber, and tombs with a vertical stone-lined pit. Grave goods recovered from inside include short-necked jars, short-necked jars with a straight mouth, small bottles, lidded dishes, gilt-bronze earrings with thin rings, iron axes, iron sickles, spindle whorls, and coffin nails. During the Sabi period of Baekje, the standardisation of tomb forms and the increasing simplicity of grave goods were part of a broader tightening of control over local government, a process that undermined the indigenous base of local communities; nevertheless, the Dangjeong-ri tumuli retain indigenous local cultural traditions, seen in the long axis of the tombs running along the direction of the contour lines and in the character of the grave goods. This makes the site important evidence for clarifying the pattern and character of tomb construction in the Seocheon region at the time, and its traditional cultural picture. Furthermore, unlike the Bongseon-ri site and Chudong-ri site in Seocheon, which are judged to date from a similar period, the Dangjeong-ri tumuli show a strongly indigenous local character rather than one shaped by the central Baekje burial system. This reveals regional variation, even within Seocheon, in the tombs' relationship to the Baekje central government and in the process of cultural transition, making the site an important one for examining the nature of Baekje local administration at the time; it is accordingly designated as a provincial monument for preservation and management.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seocheon, Chungnam

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물