KOREAN HERITAGE

Large Stones as the Object of Worship

Megalithic culture underwent continuous development throughout the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Prehistoric peoples considered that humans were subject to the influence not of other humans, but of nature. Based on this belief, they revered natural elements and would process large stones into objects of worship or burial sites. Megalithic monuments are found around the world in diverse types, such as menhir, dolmen, stone lines, stone circles, and stone statues.

Megalithic monuments began to appear in Korea during the Bronze Age. Large stones were erected for the purpose of enhancing agricultural harvests, tribal solidarity, and the authority of the leader. A wide range of associated rituals were also held. Although crafted in various forms and sizes, the megalithic monuments of Korea all originate in the prehistoric belief in the divine power of large stones.

A Representation of Prehistoric Architectural Skill

Human society developed from a number of consanguineous groups living on equal terms to a more stratified system with a ruling class standing distinct from the ruled. Erecting a megalithic monument, which must have required a huge volume of labor, attests to the power and authority possessed by the ruler at the time of its construction. Even in a hierarchical society where the ruling group could exert power sufficient to mobilize the labor for building a megalith, the significance of agriculture cut across class differences and rituals praying for a bumper harvest would have engaged all members of society. Believing that large stones could influence supernatural forces that impose both good fortune and disaster, people took part in worship at the megalithic monuments as an integral part of their daily lives.

Megaliths also serve as evidence of the architectural skill of prehistoric societies. Stonehenge, for example, was constructed to reflect the movement of the sun and moon in their yearly cycle. The plinths at Stonehenge speak volumes to the skills and knowledge of prehistoric architects in their alignment, scope, and size.

A “capstone” dolmen in Hwasun, nicknamed Pingmae Bawi Rock, one of the
largest megaliths in Korea

Whether built as a marker of social boundaries, a demonstration of authority, or as a place for assemblies and rituals in the ancient past, megalithic monuments retain a high heritage value as a key to understanding social, cultural, and economic aspects of prehistoric life.

The Numerous and Diverse Dolmens of Korea

The Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites in Korea provide an excellent example of a megalithic World Heritage Site that displays diverse styles of dolmens distributed across a wideranging area. The inscribed dolmens in Korea are known to have functioned as tombs for the ruling class or as ritual altars, a significant distinction from the classic megalithic World Heritage

Site in England, Stonehenge and Avebury, which remains a mystery in terms of by whom, how and why it was built.

One of the most significant prehistoric sites in Korea, the dolmens in Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa have provided invaluable information on the development of megalithic culture, and also on the social structure of the Bronze Age and the cultural exchanges taking place in Asia at the time.

A dolmen in Gangwha, Korea

Although they appeared there later than in Europe, Korea holds two-thirds of the total number of the world’s known megalithic tombs-about 400,000 out of the 600,000. Dispersed across a wide area, megalithic tombs in Korea can be categorized into three types: the table style, with a flat capstone supported by several upright stones; the baduk (Japanese go) board style, where a large boulder is placed as a capstone atop several smaller rocks; and the gaeseok (capstone) style consisting simply of a capstone without any supporting stones. Recognized for their historical and cultural value, the dolmen sites in Korea were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000.

Stonehenge and Avebury, a megalithic site spawning numerous mysteries and hypotheses

Stonehenge and Avebury House Mysteries

The stones at Stonehenge and Avebury were carried to the site both by water and overland from hundreds of kilometers away. Testifying to a high level of social organization, these large stone structures are widely praised as the greatest megalithic masterpiece of the Neolithic era.

Stonehenge is a Neolithic stone circle that has given birth to numerous enigmas and academic hypotheses attempting to explain them. Some say that Neolithic people used it to measure time according to the appearance of the sun and moon, while others argue that it is a monument for worshipping the sun. It is also conceived as a burial site or a home for the souls of the dead. Although lower in terms of public profile, Avebury is the most impressive earthwork in all Europe, enclosed by a ditch and bank. It forms a unique prehistoric landscape with relevant sites in the surrounding area. They were inscribed together on the World Heritage List in 1986 as Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites in England.