Gangjin-gun Lays Groundwork to Uncover Secrets of Goryeo Dynasty's Finest Celadon Production

Field Briefing on Gwangjin Sadang-ri Celadon Site Held

Major Excavation to Reveal Secrets of Premium Celadon Production

Gwangjin-gun Goryeo Dynasty First Firing Kiln Celadon Selection Site (Photo by Gwangjin-gun)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-su] Gangjin-gun, Jeollanam-do announced on the 7th that it will hold an advisory meeting and an on-site public briefing session on the 3rd and 4th excavations of Sadang-ri, part of the ‘Gangjin Goryeo Celadon Kiln Site,’ designated as National Historic Site No. 68, at 3 p.m. on the 9th in the audiovisual room of the Goryeo Celadon Museum and at the excavation site.

Since last year, Gangjin-gun has been conducting annual excavations targeting Site No. 23 in Sadang-ri, the core area of celadon production, to clarify the production system during the heyday of Goryeo celadon.

During the 1st and 2nd excavations last year, the ‘oval brick kiln (also known as mandu-shaped kiln),’ which was the first in Korea to specialize in producing underglaze wares, and the ‘Goryeo celadon sorting site’ were discovered, attracting academic attention.

In the 3rd and 4th excavations this time, large-scale government office sites and workshop sites were extensively uncovered. This is evaluated as laying the groundwork to reveal the secrets of producing the highest quality celadon during the Goryeo period.

The government office site was investigated as two building sites on the left and right, forming a ‘?’ shape, bounded by a fence. Nearby, there is a celadon sorting site where tens of thousands of high-quality celadon pieces, including celadon maebyeong bottles and celadon water containers inscribed with ‘大平’ (Daepyeong), were excavated. This site is interpreted as a place where the highest quality Goryeo celadon was selected and supervised.

The workshop site is distributed south of the large retaining wall where the government office site was established. On a square-shaped foundation, facilities such as a clay storage area (where raw clay was stored), a potter’s wheel pit (where the wheel was placed), and a drying area (where shaped vessels were dried) were investigated.

Accordingly, it is expected to greatly help clarify the production process of Goryeo celadon during its heyday, which had not been revealed until now.

County Governor Lee Seung-ok stated, “Using the excavation results obtained in four rounds in 2019 and 2020, we will establish a preservation and maintenance plan, and actively support the verification of the authenticity of Goryeo celadon through future annual academic conferences and investigations, and vigorously promote its registration as a World Heritage site.”

At this on-site public briefing session, the remains such as the government office site, sorting site, and workshop site confirmed in the 2nd and 4th excavations will be disclosed, and the excavated celadon pieces will be exhibited and explained to experts and local residents.

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