Gochang Banam-ri Celadon Kiln Site Designated as a 'Provincial Cultural Heritage Monument' Notice

[Gochang=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jae-gil] Jeonbuk Gochang-gun (Governor Yu Gi-sang) announced on the 12th that the ‘Gochang Banam-ri Celadon Kiln Site (高敞 盤岩里 靑瓷窯址)’ has been preliminarily designated as a provincial cultural asset (monument) following the 10th Jeollabuk-do Cultural Heritage Committee designation review in 2021.

The site is located in the Tapjeong Village area of Banam-ri, Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk, and was preliminarily designated as a provincial monument after emergency excavation by the Cultural Heritage Administration last year and academic excavation by the county this year, being evaluated as an early celadon kiln site that provides insight into the introduction and transformation process of celadon in Korea.

As an early celadon kiln, it is in very good preservation condition, operated from the late 10th century to the late 11th century, and clearly shows the transition from brick kilns to clay kilns.

It is a rare site in Korea, with even large building remains confirmed, and is evaluated to have excellent archaeological, historical, and academic value.

According to excavation results so far, the site consists of three major sediment mounds, one brick kiln, six clay kilns, five building remains, and two pit wells overlapping each other.

The brick kiln is well preserved, estimated to be about 40 meters in length, 2.7 meters in width, with a floor slope of about 10°, and it was confirmed to have been rebuilt and operated about three times.

Additionally, a medium-sized clay kiln (No. 2) was constructed above the brick kiln (No. 1), and above that, small clay kilns (Nos. 3?5) were sequentially built, showing an apartment-style structure.

The kilns share similar dimensions and structures, with lengths of 10?12 meters, widths of 1.5?1.9 meters, and stone fire mouths.

This sequential construction of brick and clay kilns is a characteristic that clarifies the transformation process of early celadon kilns and is considered a very important site for the study of Korean ceramics history.

A large building site measuring 31 meters was confirmed, and inscribed roof tiles such as ‘?坪’, ‘??二月卄日’, and ‘官?車?’ were excavated, presumed to be an official office managing and selecting celadon production.

Artifacts such as early celadon shards with haemuri rims and gapbal (匣鉢) were excavated, with special patterns notably found on the bottom and sides of the gapbal.

Governor Yu Gi-sang said, “The designation of the Gochang Banam-ri Celadon Kiln Site as a provincial monument is recognized as an important site that can clarify the origin, transformation, production process, and management system of celadon kilns. Along with the Gochang Yonggye-ri Celadon Kiln Site, Gochang is acknowledged as the birthplace and mecca of early Korean celadon.” He added, “We will strive for the preservation and systematic excavation of the site to promote it to a nationally designated historic site.”

Gochang=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jae-gil gjg7070@asiae.co.kr

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