The Number Reaches Thousands, Korea Becomes the Center of Dolmens in the World and Enters the World Heritage Site

Kapanlagi.com - Besides its dramas and K-Pop, Korea has many world heritages that are not well known by Kpopers. One of them is about dolmens (stone shaped like a table) that are found in Korea.

Did you know that Korea is the center of dolmens in the world? This is what makes the dolmens found in Korea become World Heritage Sites. Why is that?

1. There are Star Carvings

© VANK

UNESCO designated dolmens in Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa as World Heritage Sites in December 2000. Korea is called the dolmen country because it contributes 40% of the dolmens in the world. What's even more surprising, some of the dolmens that have been discovered have astronomical carvings that show very accurate star constellations.

According to the Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK), dolmens carved with star graphics were found in Pyongyang in North Korea and Chungcheongbukdo Province in South Korea. These dolmens are called important relics of the Gojoseon Kingdom (2333-108 BC).

Initially, in 1978, an interesting stone slab was found at a dolmen site in Cheongwon City in Chungcheongbukdo Province. The slab has 65 holes of various sizes carved on it. Researchers later found that the holes represent a boat, a small bear, a dragon, and Cassiopeia, which represent the sky around 500 BC.

Ancient star graphics have significant historical value as they reflect the level of science at that time. Star graphics are important evidence for the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia. A stone slab found in North Korea contains a star chart that shows the sky in 3000 BC. In fact, it predates the star chart on ancient Babylonian stones that show the sky around 1200 BC.

2. Thousands of Dolmens Found

The representative dolmen in Ganghwa © visitkorea.or.kr

At the Gochang dolmen site located in Jungnim-ri, Gochang-gun, Jeollabuk-do, there are more than 1,550 dolmens in the area. 596 dolmens were found in the Hwasun area, and more than 120 dolmens were found in Ganghwa. Out of the many dolmens, 447 Gochang dolmens are officially registered with UNESCO.

The representative dolmen in this area is the 'Bugeulli Jiseok Dolmen', a table-style dolmen with a large capstone. It is 5.6 meters wide and 7.1 meters long, supported by two supporting stones that are 2.6 meters high. Until now, the purpose of these dolmens is unknown. However, there is speculation that these dolmens were tombs of tribal leaders or altars for rituals.

(kpl/mit)