Manwoldae (Korean: 만월대; Hanja:
Manwoldae | |
Korean name | |
---|---|
Chosŏn'gŭl | 만월대 |
Hancha | |
Revised Romanization | Manwoldae |
McCune–Reischauer | Manwŏltae |
History
editConstruction on the palace began in 919, at the beginning of the Goryeo Dynasty; it was built south of the Songak Mountains for good Feng Shui. The palace was divided into two major sections; the Kungsŏng (궁성,
Description
editThe palace is thought to have had blue celadon roof tiles, similar to other excavated tiles dating from the same period.[6]
Excavations and findings
editExcavation of the ruins of Manwoldae Palace began under the supervision of the North Korean government, but merged into a joint Korean cultural project. Many valuable relics of the late Goryeo period have been uncovered at the site, including ceramics, metal items, ancestral tablets, mirrors, and over 3,000 roofing tiles. It is on a list of locations planned by North Korea to become UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[4] As of 2015, both Koreas have conducted six rounds of joint excavations of the site since 2007; the 2015 round of excavations will last 6 months, the longest excavation period to date.[7]
A 25 cm celadon jar with an inlaid monkey and tree design in an underglaze of gold found at the site is held at the National Museum of Korea.[8]
Excavation at the site uncovered a "unique" two-feet vase-like cylinder made from celadon. The object’s function was still unclear as of June 2015. The vase-like object bears an intricate pattern of peonies and vines and used to have holes at the top and bottom; it was speculated to have been a flower pot or a vessel used for some ceremonial purpose. A modern South Korean celadon maker explains "the piece is unique because of its size. Due to the nature of the celadon ceramics, an object of this size would be very difficult to bake properly, even more difficult than smaller items that often emerge broken or bent from the furnace."[9]
In November 2015, the excavation had unearthed a piece of metal type, with initial reports dating it from Goryeo Dynasty, but it requires further study to verify when it was made.[10] Researchers hope to radiocarbon date the object. They are to study when it was made, what kind of font was used, and what it is made of. There are traces of ink on the type.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ 김왕직 (2007). "궁궐". 알기 쉬운 한국건축 용어사전 (in Korean). 동녘 출판사. ISBN 9788972975267. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- ^ a b Korean History Society (2002). 고려의 황도 개경 (in Korean). 창비. pp. 44–46. ISBN 9788936482213. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- ^ 이강근. "정궁(
正 宮 )". 우리역사넷. National Institute of Korean History. Retrieved 5 April 2019. - ^ a b Chung, Ah-young (2009-01-04). "Ancient Site of Goryeo Palace Unveiled". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
- ^ 주한일본공사관문서. "(12) [
皇帝 歸路 開城 에서還 宮 까지의 상황]". - ^ "Celadon Concave Roof-end Tile with Scroll Design in Relief". National Museum of Korea. 2014. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
- ^ "Koreas launch joint survey of palace site". Yonhap News Agency. Seoul. June 4, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ "Celadon Jar with Inlaid Monkey and Tree Design in Underglaze Gold". National Museum of Korea. 2014. Archived from the original on September 27, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
- ^ Slav, Irina (June 7, 2015). "North and South Korea Resume Work at Koryo Palace Dig". New Historian. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ "(LEAD) Metal piece found at Seoul-Pyongyang joint excavation site". Yonhap News Agency. November 30, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
- ^ "Ancient Metal Type Found in Kaesong". The Chosun Ilbo. December 1, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
37°59′0.960″N 126°32′26.880″E / 37.98360000°N 126.54080000°E