1,000 artifacts from Daemosanseong Fortress return to Yangju Museum

Yangju, South Korea, is set to enhance its understanding and presentation of ancient history with the return of approximately 1,000 artifacts from the Daemosanseong Fortress. These relics, which include pottery, roof tiles, and iron weapons, provide crucial evidence of the fortress's construction and operational phases. The Yangju City Museum has officially received these items, which were previously housed at the Hallym University Museum.

Daemosanseong Fortress, recognized as a strategically vital location for ancient transportation and military activities in northern Gyeonggi Province, was designated a national historic site in 2013. Excavation surveys have been ongoing since the 1980s. Recent findings have significantly bolstered the site's historical value. In 2023, wooden tablets bearing the reign title of the Taebong Kingdom, founded by Gung Ye, were discovered. Further excavations in 2024 yielded four additional wooden tablets from the same water catchment facility. Notably, three wooden tablets unearthed from a Baekje-era cultural layer during the 15th excavation survey are being considered potentially the oldest dated wooden tablets in South Korea.

The Yangju City Museum of Hoeeumsa Site plans to conduct detailed investigations and preservation treatments on the newly acquired artifacts. Museum officials stated that consolidating these relics in one location is significant for their management, research, and exhibition potential. The collection, documented in a 1990 excavation report, comprises items from the first five excavation phases conducted between 1980 and 1984, with the museum now housing nearly 1,000 pieces mentioned in the report.

The fortress's strategic position along the route connecting the Imjin and Han rivers has long been recognized. Continuous excavation efforts, including surveys of the East and West Gates in the 1990s and phased excavations since 2018, have progressively revealed its historical importance. The influx of these artifacts, especially the historically significant wooden tablets, promises to enrich the study and display of Yangju's ancient past.