Ganghwa Dolmen Site

Site details

A Dolmen is a structure made by placing several supporting stones upright and covering them with a large flat stone on top. It is a representative type of tomb from the Bronze Age, also known as a "supporting stone tomb" (支石墓). While Dolmens can be found worldwide, they are primarily concentrated in East Asia. In particular, over 40,000 Dolmens are concentrated on the Korean Peninsula, accounting for about half of all Dolmens worldwide. Among the numerous Dolmens in Korea, the Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites are notable for their high density, diverse forms, and excellent preservation, and they have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Within this group, there are around 70 Dolmens in Ganghwa, including the notable Ganghwa Bugeun-ri Dolmen, which is designated as a Historic Site. Dolmens are generally classified into two main types based on their structure: the table type and the chessboard type. The table-type Dolmen is constructed by erecting stone slabs above ground to form a stone chamber, and then placing a large capstone on top. In contrast, the chessboard-type Dolmen is made by setting up stone slabs below ground level to create a stone chamber, then placing small supporting stones above ground, with a capstone on top of them. Table-type Dolmens are predominantly found in the northern regions, while chessboard-type Dolmens are mainly found in the southern regions. Therefore, these types are often referred to as the Northern style and Southern style Dolmens, respectively. The Bugeun-ri Dolmen in Ganghwa stands at a height of 2.6 meters, with its capstone reaching a length of 6.5 meters, making it the largest table-type Dolmen in South Korea. The capstone, which rests on two large supporting stones, weighs an impressive 50 tons. The Bugeun-ri Dolmen is highly regarded for its grand and refined aesthetic, and it is considered a valuable cultural heritage site for the insight it provides into the prehistoric culture, technology, social structure, and spiritual world.