JB Life January 2017

JEONBUK TOUR
By RENEE MCMILLAN
Jeonbuk Life Contributing Writer
The idea of strolling through a misty field
covered in giant stone monuments calls
to mind images of Stonehenge, druids,
possible ritual sacrifice, and portals into another
time. Perhaps that’s just me, and I may be guilty
of having read The Mists of Avalon and Outlander
far too many times. While Stonehenge may
be the most iconic symbol of stone monuments
in the world, an equally important site lies approximately
an hour and twenty minutes south
of Jeonju in the small, tranquil city of Gochang.
A day trip to Gochang offers several unique and
beautiful sites, including Gochang Fortress and
Seonunsa Temple. However, one of the most important
and often overlooked sites that Gochang
has to offer is the Gochang Dolmen Sites at Maesan
Village.
Dolmens are large stone constructions or megaliths,
and are generally considered to be grave
markers, although much mystery surrounds
them. While dolmen sites are found throughout
the world, Korea has the highest concentration
of dolmens, with an estimated 35,000. The staggering
number of dolmens found on the Korean
Peninsula accounts for 40% of the world’s
megaliths. Gochang has the most concentrated
number of megaliths found in Korea, with
an estimated sixteen hundred stone monuments
found to this day.
The significance of the dolmen sites of Gochang
to anthropological and archeological
research ensured its recognition and protection
from UNESCO. In 2000, together with
the Hwasan and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites of
Jeollanamdo and Gyeonggi Province, UNE-
SCO listed The Gochang Dolmen Site as a
World Heritage Site. With 447 dolmens officially
registered by UNESCO, Maesan Village
in Gochang is one of the largest and most
important megalithic sites on Earth. According
to UNESCO, “All of the constructions are
original, making the Gochang sites one of the
biggest centers of prehistoric megaliths.” The
dolmens serve as proof that the area has been
inhabited since the Bronze Age.
Research into the dolmen sites of Korea is
relatively new. Excavation of the Gochang
megaliths was carried out as a result of the
construction of the West Coast Highway in
the early 1990’s. Although a large number
of dolmens have been identified, only a few
have been excavated. Typically, dolmens are
single isolated monuments, however the clusters
of dolmens found in Gochang suggest the
individuals interred may have been family
burials for tribal leaders or the same dynasty
of rulers. Excavation of the dolmens has
produced bronze implements, which further
supports this theory.
The Korean word for dolmen is “goindol,”
which translates to “supported stone,” or
“propped stone.” There are four types of dolmen
found throughout Korea. The first type
of goindol is the Table Type, where one
g
LEFT: A misty spread of dolmens in Gochang. RIGHT [from top]: A simulated scene inside the Gochang
Dolmen Museum; a scene By ANJEE constructed DISANTO, outside in the historical Jeonbuk dolmen Life village; Co-Editor a small dolmen at
the Gochang site. [Photos by RENEE [Shots MCMILLAN] courtesy of Gimje Public Relations]
Jeonbuk Life 13
Jeonbuk Life 13
g