Yeongcheon-ri Ancient Tomb, Jangseong

Jangseong-eup lies in a valley plain on both sides of the Hwangnyonggang River, which flows between hills ranging from 300 to 600 metres above sea level. North of Gusan village, a ridge at an elevation of 182.8 metres descends towards the west-northwest, gradually losing height; the tomb sits on the summit of a hillock formed where the ridge rises slightly again after this decline. To the west of the hillock the Hwangnyonggang River flows from north to south, with alluvial plains formed on either side, and the tomb occupies a point that commands a fine view over this area. It was excavated in 1986 by the Jeonnam University Museum; villagers call it 'Malmoe'. The mound is circular in plan, 17 metres in diameter and 3 metres high. The stone chamber is of the horizontal-entry type, with the passage opening at the centre of the south wall of the chamber. Because the chamber's north-east wall lies at the centre of the mound while the passage is at the south-west, the chamber as a whole is set towards the southern side of the mound. The long axis of the chamber runs north-east to south-west, at right angles to the direction of the ridge. The chamber walls were built by stacking slabs 10–15 cm thick in 20 to 23 courses, vertically up to a height of 90–100 cm and corbelled inward above that. The chamber measures 280–290 cm in length, 220–240 cm in width and 170–200 cm in height, its plan close to a rectangle approaching a square. The ceiling was covered with two long slabs, and the floor was levelled by smoothing the weathered base layer and then compacting a mixture of fine gravel and grey clay to a thickness of 15–20 cm over a diameter of 13 metres. The passage measures 320 cm in length, 130–160 cm in width and 150 cm in height; rectangular and slab-shaped stone posts stand on either side of its entrance, with a natural stone used as the threshold between them.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jangseong, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료