Earthen Fortification Walls and Gate Site from the Three Kingdoms Period Discovered in Hamyang, Gyeongnam...Artifacts from Early 5th-6th Century

Panoramic view of Hamyang Cheokji Fortress rampart. [Image source=Hamyang-gun]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] On the 12th, Hamyang-gun, Gyeongnam announced that artifacts dating from the late 5th century to the early 6th century, including the earthen fortress walls and gate site from the Samguk (Gaya) period, were confirmed at Cheokji Earthen Fortress located in Baekcheon-ri, Hamyang-eup, which played an important role at the border during the Three Kingdoms period.

Cheokji Earthen Fortress was first introduced in 2011 in the ‘Fortresses of Western Gyeongnam.’ Since then, Hamyang-gun has conducted a ‘Detailed Surface Survey of Cheokji Earthen Fortress’ in 2019 and an ‘Excavation (Trial) Survey of Cheokji Earthen Fortress’ in 2020 to establish maintenance and preservation plans for this non-designated cultural asset as part of the Gaya history restoration project.

The excavation survey area includes the northwest fortress wall and presumed gate site, the northeast fortress wall, and the flattened area inside the fortress of Cheokji Earthen Fortress. Within the survey area, the fortress walls (inner and outer walls), gate site (west gate site), and moat (Naehwang) corresponding to the Samguk (Gaya) period were confirmed.

The fortress walls remain at a height of approximately 2.2 to 3.5 meters, with a base width of about 12 meters. Since the outer edge of the outer wall has not yet been confirmed, it is expected to be even wider.

The walls were constructed by leveling the original terrain and then cross-layering weathered bedrock soil of different colors to form an earthen embankment. Reinforcement stones for the inner wall embankment and traces of repair and reconstruction (contraction) on the outer wall were also identified.

The side walls of the gate are estimated to be semicircular and face each other, with a width of about 4 meters between the two side walls.

During the investigation of the fortress walls, a lidded dish (gaebae) lid (gae) was excavated. This type of lid has a relatively high excavation rate in the Hapcheon area.

A county official stated, “This is the first time a gate site has been investigated in a Gaya fortress at Cheokji Earthen Fortress, which is expected to bring us closer to understanding the actual structure of Gaya fortresses.”

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