Gangjin Sadang-ri Celadon Kiln Site, Korea's First and 'Best'

Mandu-yo and ‘Daepyeong’ Celadon Ware and Shinbalgyeon

Mandu, excavation site of 'Ga' district in Sadang-ri, Gangjin (Photo by Gangjin-gun)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-su] The Goryeo Celadon Museum in Gangjin-gun, Jeollanam-do, announced on the 4th that it will hold a symposium to promptly publicize the domestically first-discovered Chinese-style Manduyo (Manduyo is named for its resemblance to dumplings) and celadon roof tiles.

Under the theme "Recent Excavation Achievements and Research of the Gangjin Sadang-ri Celadon Kiln Site," the event will be held on the 10th from 2 p.m. in the museum's audiovisual room.

Since 2019, Gangjin-gun has been conducting excavation surveys in four phases at the 'Ga' district of Gangjin Sadang-ri. During this process, in the second half of last year, the first and only Chinese-style original kiln in Korea, the Manduyo kiln, was perfectly discovered, and celadon roof tiles used not in 'Yangijeong' but in 'Taepyeongjeong' were found almost intact, marking a very important achievement.

The Goryeo Celadon Museum is conducting academic research on these two significant excavation achievements and will promptly hold a symposium.

The presentations are planned around two topics: the Manduyo kiln and the celadon roof tiles. Since these are the first and only confirmed materials, they have attracted much attention from academia, so ample time has been allocated for presentations and discussions to facilitate diverse exchanges of opinions and debates.

The first presentation will be given by Lee Hee-gwan, former curator of Horim Museum, titled "The Newly Discovered Manduyo Kiln at Gangjin Sadang-ri Site and Its Adoption and Lineage Issues," followed by the second presentation by Jo Eun-jung, curator at the Goryeo Celadon Museum, on "The Status and Production Background of 12th Century Goryeo Celadon Roof Tiles."

Additionally, Kwon Hyuk-joo, director of the Institute of Korean Cultural Heritage, currently in charge of the excavation at Gangjin Sadang-ri celadon kiln site, and Kim Yoon-jung, professor at Korea University, will serve as designated discussants for each presentation.

Currently, Gangjin-gun is conducting excavation surveys at the Gangjin Sadang-ri celadon kiln site from last year to the present, with significant excavation achievements confirmed during the second phase of the survey in the latter half of last year.

Besides these two achievements, a vast amount of celadon shards spanning from the early to late Goryeo period and large building sites have also been identified.

Yoon Sung-il, director of the Goryeo Celadon Museum, said, "This academic symposium is held during the period when the excavation survey and the special exhibition of celadon roof tiles are ongoing, so that professional research results can be easily understood," adding, "We will also prepare occasions to immediately disclose newly discovered materials in the future."

Meanwhile, the Goryeo Celadon Museum has been holding a special exhibition of Goryeo celadon architectural materials, including celadon roof tiles inscribed with '大平' (Daepyeong) and various types of tiles and plates, under the theme "Taepyeongjeong and Yangijeong" in the first-floor planned exhibition hall since August 7, running until the 15th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.