Archaeology Students Participate in Excavation of Gyeongju Guhwang-dong Dolmen Site

Participation until report publication "First university curriculum linked to excavation survey"

Close-up of Gyeongju Guhwang-dong Dolmen

Students majoring in archaeology at universities are given the opportunity to participate in buried cultural heritage excavation surveys. The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on the 9th that the National Gyeongju Cultural Heritage Research Institute and Dongguk University Gyeongju Campus will jointly begin excavation surveys at the "Gyeongju Guhwang-dong Dolmen (around 380 Guhwang-dong, Gyeongju)" located between Bunhwangsa Temple and Hwangnyongsa Temple Site in Gyeongju starting from the 12th. On the 11th, a groundbreaking ceremony (開土祭) will be held to inform the land deity of the excavation before the exploration begins.

This joint excavation survey is being conducted as part of the recently announced "Measures to Enhance the Effectiveness of Buried Cultural Heritage Preservation and Management." It provides a new type of educational field where archaeology students can conduct research and practical training. The National Gyeongju Cultural Heritage Research Institute supports the survey with technical, administrative, and budgetary assistance. Dongguk University Gyeongju Campus has formed a joint excavation team by involving students as trainees in the survey. The trainees participate not only in the excavation but also in the publication process of the report based on the survey results, linked with their coursework.

Gyeongju Guhwang-dong Dolmen Panorama

The Guhwang-dong Dolmen, the subject of the survey, currently has one capstone exposed. The National Gyeongju Cultural Heritage Research Institute confirmed Bronze Age residential sites and stone coffin tomb remains here while investigating Bunhwangsa Temple and the surrounding area in 2000 and 2005. A Cultural Heritage Administration official explained, "It allows us to understand the cultural landscape of the Gyeongju basin before the formation of Silla." They added, "This is the first time a university has participated in an excavation survey as part of its curriculum," and stated, "We will continue our efforts to cultivate cultural heritage professionals in the future."

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