Archaeological Site in Bonghwang-dong, Gimhae

Basic information

Designation

Historic Site No.2

Category

유적지

Era

청동시대

Designated year

1963

Location

김해시, 경상남도— 경남 김해시 봉황동 253번지 외

Coordinates

35.232351, 128.874175

At this shell mound (measuring 130m in length, 30m in width, and 6-7m in height) located in Hoehyeon-ri, Gimhae, archaeologists discovered a wide variety of prehistoric artifacts including earthenware objects, most of which have a red-brown or bluish gray surface, horn and bone implements (mainly the hafts of daggers), stone tools, two spindle whorls, carbonized rice, ancient Chinese coins and animal bones. The coins, Hwacheon (or Huo Quan in Chinese), minted in 14 BC by the Shin Dynasty of China, are regarded as tangible evidence of cultural exchange between China and the southern part of the Korean peninsula during the first century when the midden was formed, while the carbonized rice is significant for the study of rice cultivation on the peninsula. At another nearby site archaeologists also unearthed jar coffins, a dolmen, and the remains of Bronze Age dwellings which, along with the discoveries made at the shell mound, provide ample clues about the way of life of the Korean people who settled in this part of the peninsula during the first to fourth centuries.

Location