Haenam-gun Mahan Sansang Village, Oknyobong Earthen Fortress Secret Unveiled

Oknyobong Earthen Fortress Trial Excavation Reveals Earthen Fortress, Residential Area, and More, Drawing 'Interest'

Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do, is attracting significant attention as residential sites dating from the Mahan period to the Three Kingdoms period have been confirmed at Oknyobong Earthen Fortress, an important site evaluated for uncovering the reality of ancient societies.

According to the county on the 6th, the residential sites were identified along with pit houses on the flat area inside the fortress at an elevation of around 160 meters.

Considering that the artifacts exposed during the investigation are similar to those excavated from the fortress wall's embankment layer, it is presumed that the residential sites found inside the fortress are closely related to the construction forces of Oknyobong Earthen Fortress.

Residential site from the Three Kingdoms period confirmed on the flat area inside the Oknyobong earthen fortress
[Photo by Haenam-gun]

Additionally, it can be understood as a highland settlement formed before the construction of the earthen fortress, making it an important link connecting the Mahan history of the Haenam region, which holds the prehistory of Mahan.

The trial excavation is being conducted in connection with the ‘2022 Mahan Relics Academic Excavation (Trial) Survey’ and was initiated after Oknyobong Earthen Fortress was selected as a target relic for designation as a national and provincial cultural asset of Mahan relics in the province. The survey has been underway since last month by the Mokpo National University Museum (Director Kim Geonsu).

Oknyobong Earthen Fortress is a terraced-style earthen fortress surrounding the summit and surrounding area of Oknyobong (212.2m), located on the boundary of Yeondong-ri, Haenam-eup, and Chang-ri and Sinheung-ri, Samsan-myeon.

It is a rare earthen fortress not only in the Haenam area but also in Jeollanam-do, and it has an almost perfect form. Interest in its construction background has been deep since early times, as it was detailed in the ‘Noksanseong National Forest Boundary Map’ created by the Government-General of Korea during the Japanese colonial period.

Oknyobong Earthen Fortress was first introduced through the ‘Cultural Relics of Haenam-gun’ surveyed by the Mokpo National University Museum in 1986.

At that time, the fortress was identified as a sacred site of the Three Kingdoms period or Mahan and has been recognized as an important cultural heritage of the ancient society in the Haenam area.

This trial excavation focused on the northern wall section and the flat area inside the fortress, confirming the fortress wall (earthen wall), residential sites, pit houses, main posts, and stone rows corresponding to the Three Kingdoms period.

The northern wall section follows a natural terrain with a steep slope of about 10 meters on the outside, and the fortress wall was constructed by embanking in stages according to a certain plan.

The height of the fortress wall is between 2.0 and 2.7 meters. The base width of the wall identified so far is about 10 meters, but it is expected to be wider if the outer edge of the outer wall is confirmed in the future.

Outside the fortress adjacent to the northern wall section, several terraces of flat areas of a certain scale have been confirmed. These flat areas are presumed to have been formed in relation to Oknyobong Earthen Fortress or the highland settlement, and like the space inside the fortress, residential sites, pit house remains, and main posts were identified.

The location of the mountain fortress and the way the space inside the fortress was utilized are unique forms not seen in other cases in Korea. Through this trial excavation, valuable data have been secured to determine the construction period and characteristics of the mountain fortress, raising expectations for future excavation results.

Meanwhile, Haenam-gun plans to establish comprehensive investigation, research, preservation, and maintenance plans based on the trial excavation results of Oknyobong Earthen Fortress. It is also expected to play an important role in the recently dynamically promoted National Mahan History and Culture Center and the leading project for the maintenance of historical and cultural areas.

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