Scene of excavation of earthen rampart at Jangmisanseong Fortress in Chungju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province

By Lee Ji Yae
Photos = Korea Heritage Service

A wooden water reservoir dating back 1,600 years to the Hanseong (Seoul) capital era of the Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C.-A.D. 660) has been unearthed at Jangmisanseong Fortress in Chungju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province.

The largest of its kind from the period, the reservoir offers concrete evidence of how the ancient kingdom set up and ran Chungju as a key stronghold in the central Korean Peninsula.

The Jungwon National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage under the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage of the Korea Heritage Service on Sept. 1 held a briefing at Jungwon's Gukwon Hall and the fortress site to present the excavation findings.

Excavations during the second half of 2022 found an earthen fortress and residential areas from the Hanseong period beneath the stone-piled fortress walls, along with the reservoir. Items used in daily life including pottery characteristic of the central region were also unearthed.

The most notable discovery was the reservoir, which was discovered in the northern valley area within the fortress. The square-shaped facility's interior side is each 6.7 m long with a depth of 1.8 m, making it the largest wooden reservoir from Baekje's Hanseong period discovered to date.

The reservoir was built using whole logs measuring over 7 m long. The timber was stacked and interlocked in nine layers to form the walls.

Researchers said the facility was used to store water collected in the valley and regulate its flow, attesting to Baekje's sophisticated system of water resource management and civil engineering know-how 1,600 years ago.

The Jungwon institute will continue interdisciplinary research and natural science analyses based on the findings, including the reservoir. It will also expand its study of the fortress interior.

Excavated wooden water reservoir beneath stone rampart at Jangmisanseong Fortress in Chungju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province

ljyhwa@korea.kr