Jangsu-gun "Daejeokgol Iron Age Site... Additional Artifacts Discovered"

Gaya~Joseon Era, Consistent Ironware Artifacts Over 1500 Years

Only 10% of Total Range Studied Academically... 'Need to Identify Site Characteristics'

Jangsu-gun, Jeonbuk Province announced that an additional Joseon Dynasty building site and Gaya pottery fragments were unearthed during the excavation of the Daejeokgol iron-making site in Janggyemyeon.

The excavation of the Daejeokgol iron-making site is being conducted by the Jeonju Cultural Heritage Research Institute (Director Yoo Cheol) with the support of Jeollabuk-do Province (Governor Kim Kwan-young) and Jangsu-gun (County Governor Choi Hoon-sik), under the permission of the Cultural Heritage Administration (Administrator Choi Eung-cheon).

Additional fragments of Gaya pottery discovered at the Daejeokgol Iron Age site in Jangsu County. [Photo provided by Jangsu County]

Through this excavation, stone retaining walls and stone rows were confirmed north of the valley area in the previously investigated 'Da' zone, and one building site along with two tuyere facilities were additionally identified. Inside, fragments of bellows, slag, and forged iron pieces were excavated. The term 'forged' refers to a technique of heating iron in fire and then hammering or applying pressure, while 'pieces' mean flakes or fragments that have peeled off.

Notably, in the 'Ra' zone, a trench survey around the Later Baekje building site revealed Gaya pottery fragments decorated with 'dense wave patterns' from a stable lower stratum, confirming its historical significance. Additionally, a bronze 'beomjong' (bronze temple bell) presumed to be from the Later Baekje period was unearthed for the first time in Jeonbuk Province, attracting attention.

Until now, local residents have passed down that the name Daejeokgol originated from a fearsome area where a great thief lived. However, after six rounds of surface surveys and excavations, it was revealed to be a consistent iron-making site spanning about 2 kilometers. Scholars interpret it not as a place of a great thief but as a site where great treasures were stored.

Meanwhile, the Daejeokgol iron-making site located in the eastern Baekdudaegan mountain range of Jeonbuk has had less than 10% of its total area subjected to academic research. Systematic scholarly studies are urgently needed to clearly identify the nature of the site.

Governor Choi expressed expectations, saying, "This research achievement is a masterpiece spanning 1,500 years from the Gaya period to the Joseon Dynasty. We plan to establish systematic management and preservation measures and link them with nearby sites such as the Yuksipryeong Gaya Connection Site and forest garden projects."

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