Bonghwang-dong Shell Mound Exhibition Hall (Gimhae Hoehyeon-ri Shell Mound)

Hoehyeon-ri Shell Mound in Bonghwangdae, Gimhae (Historic Site No. 2, designated on January 1963, 1) was the first archaeological site excavated in Korea. This shell mound is located on top of a small, gourd-shaped hill that runs east to west at the eastern foot of Bonghwangdae. It is about 21 meters long from east to west, 120 meters wide in the south, and 30 meters high. Apart from two shell mounds in the center that are exposed in natural rocks, most of the shell mound is hidden by grass, and is overgrown with trees to the east and south. Shells are concentrated in thick layers on the south and west, mainly at the top of the hill, while they are thinly piled up on the east and north tops.

Previous excavations have been carried out around the eastern and western peaks of the gourd-shaped hill. Since the first trial excavation by Imanishi Ryu in 1907, partial excavations were carried out in 1914 (Torii Ryuzo), 1915 (Kuroita Katsumi), 1917 (Torii Ryuzo), etc., and full-scale excavations were carried out in 1920 (Hamada Kosaku and Umehara Sueji), 1934 and 1935 (Kayamoto Morito).

In 1920, a coin called "Hwasen" from the "Xin" dynasty of Wang Mang was excavated, which clarified the upper limit of the age of this shell mound. In addition, carbonized rice excavated at the same time is very important material for the study of rice in Korea.

The tomb that Kayamoto Morito excavated over a period of one month starting in December 1934 is located near the eastern peak of this shell mound. As a result of the investigation, one dolmen, five stone coffins, three jar coffins, the remains of a pit dwelling, hearth, and a stone embankment were unearthed. Of the three jar coffins excavated, two jasper tubular beads, two thin bronze swords, and eight bronze scepters were unearthed from jar coffin no. 12.

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Gimhae National Museum Gimhae National Museum, where you can feel the history of Gaya, which developed its iron culture based in the Nakdonggang River basin

I want to read it together

World Cultural Heritage, the Iron Kingdom that flourished in the southern part of ancient Korea, Gaya Historical Tour A tour of the mysterious Gaya region, Gimhae City and Goseong County. Gimhae City, located across the Nakdong River in the west of Busan, is one of the early Gaya regions of the Gaya Kingdom, which flourished around the Nakdong River basin until the 6th century.