Research on the Earthen Fortification in Pungnap-dong, Seoul1) aims to conduct a comprehensive academic study on this structure, the earliest royal fortress of Baekje from the Hanseong phase. The goal is to rediscover the historical value of the earthen fortification and to restore the culture of Baekje’s in Hanseong phase. Additionally, we are establishing the best examples for the conservation and management of cultural heritage through continued public disclosure and promotion of research findings.
Excavations of Royal Fortress Uncover Early Baekje’s Earthwork Engineering Technology
The Seoul National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage is conducting an excavation survey on the western wall of the Earthen Fortification in Pungnap-dong. Recovered materials reveal that during the planning stage, the natural levee along the Hangang River was utilized to delineate the wall’s scope, gates, and internal roads. Wall surveys have uncovered stamped earth structures, horizontal layering, and traces of soil pounding (dalgojil), along with the use of the stamped earth process,2) which involves raising the wall by connecting square chunks of stamped earth.
1)A massive earthwork structure (royal fortress) built by Baekje as the kingdom was being established, with an estimated total wall perimeter of 3.8 kilometers (2.1 kilometers remaining today)
2)An earthwork method where a square-planned structure is built, and soil with different elements is compacted and stacked horizontally to form layers of a certain thickness.
Active Policy Support to Conserve the Royal Fortress
The Seoul National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage actively responds to residents’ concerns and engages in continual observations and excavations to understand the distribution of cultural layers inside and outside the fortification. The findings enhance our understanding of the fortress’s inner spatial pattern and guide the formulation of conservation and maintenance projects.
Exploring Various Ways to Recognize the Royal Fortress’s Value
We have developed a wide range of cultural content to promote the value of the Earthen Fortification in Pungnap-dong, Seoul. This includes the children’s book “Secret Marble and the Guardians of Pungnap Earthen Fortification”, which explains research findings in an accessible and engaging manner, and the field trip program, “Let’s go to Baekje’s Royal Fortress, Pungnap Earthen Fortification!”The Seoul National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage is making diverse efforts to restore the historical substance of the royal fortress’s construction techniques and operations. Through research on the Earthen Fortification in Pungnap-dong, Seoul, the institute aims to provide further valuable resources with the general public.
Key achievements
Academic Papers
JEON Sewon 2023, “The Scope and Scale of the Earthen Fortification in Pungnap-dong, Seoul,” Journal of Korean Archaeology , Vol. 2023 No. 1
Academic Presentations
JEON Sewon 2023, “Recent Survey Findings of Earthen Fortification in Pungnap- dong, Seoul,” Baekje’s Royal Fortress: Earthen Fortification in Pungnap-dong, Seoul LEE Boram 2023, “The Status of Research on Earthen Fortification in Pungnap- dong, Seoul and Related Issues,” Baekje’s Royal Palaces and FortressesLIM Youngjae 2023, “Spatial Organization and Royal Authority,” Power and Space from the Perspective of Archaeology
Designs Registration and Application
Accessories inspired by artifacts excavated from the Earthen Fortification in Pungnap-dong, Seoul, 2022Apparel accessories inspired by artifacts excavated from the Earthen Fortification in Pungnap-dong, Seoul, 2023Copyright registration of Barami and Dri, the characters representing the Earthen Fortification in Pungnap-dong, Seoul, 2021Copyright registration of BAEK Jein and Asumo, the characters representing the Earthen Fortification in Pungnap-dong, Seoul
Publications
Secret Marble and the Guardians of Pungnap Earthen Fortification 1 , 2022 Secret Marble and the Guardians of Pungnap Earthen Fortification 2 , 2023 Let’s go to Baekje’s Royal Fortress, Pungnap Earthen Fortification! , 2023
