Wolsansa Temple Site, Yeongam

Excavations at the Wolsansa Temple Site in Yeongam uncovered building sites from the Goryeo period as well as from the Joseon period, including roof tiles inscribed with the names of royal patrons such as Grand Prince Wolsan and Queen Insu. The site has historical value for what it can reveal, on the basis of early Joseon royal patronage, about (1) the background to the temple's reconstruction, (2) the planning of its building programme, and (3) the process of its construction. Three seasons of investigation at the Wolsansa site identified ten building sites together with stone-paved features and stone retaining walls. In particular, the discovery of relics and records relating to Grand Prince Wolsan from the early Joseon period provides important material concerning the royal house. The excavations, including trial trenching, were carried out in three phases: the first covered the upper part of the temple site, and the second and third covered the lower part. The third excavation covered the area (500 m²) that had been trial-trenched in the second. The first excavation identified one building site together with stone-paved features and stone retaining walls, and it is thought that further building sites existed in the surrounding area. The investigation focused on identifying the site judged to be the main building and on establishing the scale of the temple. The extent of the temple as traced at the surface measures 34 m north–south and 48 m east–west. The main building site is a structure of three bays by three bays thought to have been in use in the early Joseon period. The building measured roughly 660 cm on its sides and 980 cm across the front, giving it an elongated rectangular plan with narrow flanking bays on either side. Taken together, the relics excavated from the building site indicate that the temple flourished through Buddhist building works connected with Grand Prince Wolsan, reaching a peak in the late fifteenth century. Beneath the main building site a Goryeo-period cultural layer is exposed, yielding roof-tile fragments and celadon fragments, so further investigation will be needed. At the time the main building of the Wolsansa site was constructed, the area around Wolchulsan Mountain saw extensive Buddhist building works carried out with state support under the Venerable Sumi, royal preceptor to King Sejo; records show that Dogapsa Temple, Muwisa Temple and other temples flourished in particular during this period. Inscriptions among the relics excavated inside the building site, reading 'Subin-gung', 'Wolsan-gun', 'Eulyu' and 'Jeongyu' (the latter two being cyclical year names), further show that Buddhist building works flourished and the temple prospered in the mid-to-late fifteenth century, between the reigns of King Sejo and Yeonsangun.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yeongam, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료