Busan Museum Holds 6th Academic Advisory Meeting on Excavation of Cheonseongjinseong
Published 10 Aug.2023 11:25(KST)
Updated 06 Aug.2025 17:13(KST)
Academic Advisory Meeting Held at Gadeokdo Cheonseongjinseong Excavation Site at 1 PM on the 11th
6th Excavation Survey, First Detailed Excavation of Cheonseongjinseong Expansion Area Conducted
Busan Museum will hold the ‘6th Academic Advisory Meeting on the Excavation of Cheonseongjinseong’ at 1 p.m. on the 11th at the excavation site of Cheonseongjinseong in Gadeokdo (Cheonseong-dong, Gangseo-gu).
This meeting was organized to comprehensively review the contents and achievements of the 6th excavation of Cheonseongjinseong and to discuss follow-up measures and future excavations.
Cheonseongjinseong (天城鎭城) is a historic site that General Yi Sun-sin used as an advanced base before advancing to Busanpo during the Imjin War.
It was constructed in the 39th year of King Jungjong’s reign (1544) along with Gadeokjin to strengthen naval defenses along the southern coast after the Saryangjin Japanese disturbance (1544), serving as a military strategic point overseeing the northeastern coast of Geoje Island and the eastern area of Jinhae Bay.
In addition to its historical significance, it is designated as a Busan city monument and managed because it is the best-preserved original form among Joseon Dynasty naval fortresses along the southern coast.
Busan Museum has been conducting annual excavations since 2016 to secure data for the protection, maintenance, and utilization of the Cheonseongjinseong site.
The 6th excavation, which began on April 4 this year, is the first detailed excavation conducted on the expansion area of Cheonseongjinseong. A major achievement was the complete exposure and investigation of the top and both inner and outer sides of the fortress wall for the first time, revealing the exact construction methods and sequence of the wall.
Cheonseongjinseong has a polygonal structure combining a large rectangular and a small rectangular shape. The fortress was initially built in a large rectangular form in the 39th year of King Jungjong’s reign (1544), and later, the eastern side wall was extended to enlarge the area of the smaller rectangle, which is the expansion area.
The investigation area is the southern one-third point of the east wall in the expansion area, where a chiseong (雉城, a protruding structure built outside the fortress wall to defend against approaching enemies) is installed.
This fortress wall is about 2.4 meters wide. After constructing the main wall (체성, ?城), a 7-meter-wide stairway for ascending the fortress was built on the inside, and the inner wall (內壁) was constructed in a stepped structure by adding platforms of certain widths on both sides of the stairs to create height differences. The chiseong was installed on the outer wall where the stairway is located and was confirmed to have been added separately after the main wall construction.
The main wall (체성) refers to the fortress wall from the ground to the eyebrow stone (미석) below the parapet. The eyebrow stone is a thin slab stone slightly protruding under the parapet (여장), which is a low wall installed at regular intervals on top of the main wall.
Kim Yoo-jung, a research curator at Busan Museum and the investigator, explained, “At the start of the investigation, it was assumed that the main wall and chiseong were constructed as a single unit, but this excavation revealed a complex construction pattern of the fortress wall, which was an unexpected achievement. Thanks to this, the possibility of an as-yet-unconfirmed east gate is still under consideration.”
Additionally, the purpose and construction period of the expansion area were identified. The investigation revealed that the originally gentle slope was artificially filled with soil to create a two-tiered flat area with about a 2-meter height difference.
On this artificially formed ground, three ditch remains, two pits, and perforated stones (유공석) were investigated. The perforated stones are similar to foundation stones with seismic resistance or door fixing stones.
Remains refer to traces that provide clues to the structure and style of ancient civil engineering and architecture.
Although it was presumed that the expansion area might have been used as a horse training ground, various circumstantial evidence suggests the need for further examination to determine whether it was used for other purposes besides a horse training ground.
The artifacts excavated in this investigation include roof tiles, porcelain, and glazed pottery. Most roof tiles were produced in the late Joseon period, and the porcelain found inside the fortress space is also judged to have been made mainly in the 17th to 18th centuries.
The central period of the expansion area confirmed by the excavated artifacts corresponds to the historical record that Cheonseongjinseong was relocated to Angolpo in Jinhae during the Imjin War and returned to its original location in the 9th year of King Hyojong’s reign (1656). This investigation is academically significant as it secured data to determine the period of the expansion area.
Jung Eun-woo, director of Busan Museum, said, “The information on the expansion area of Cheonseongjinseong confirmed through the 6th excavation makes new research possible,” and added, “We hope the academic advisory meeting will comprehensively review the reality of Cheonseongjinseong.”
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