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Chungcheongbuk-do
I
Chungcheongnam-do
I
Gangwon-do
I
Gyeonggi-do |
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Gyeongsangbuk-do I
Gyeongsangnam-do I
Jeollabuk-do I
Jeollanam-do I
Jeju-do |
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 The
Gochang,
Hwasun
and
Ganghwa
Dolmen
Sites
are
the
location
of
hundreds
of
stone
dolmen
which
were
used
as
grave
markers
and
for
ritual
purposes
during
the
first
millennium
BCE
when
the
Megalithic
Culture
was
prominent
on
the
Korean
Peninsula.
The
sites
were
designated
as a
World
Heritage
Site
by
UNESCO
in
2000.
Korea
is
said
to
contain
more
than
40%
of
the
worlds
dolmen,
which
are
mostly
concentrated
in
these
three
sites. |
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The
megalithic
stones
are
invaluable
because
they
mark
the
graves
of
the
ruling
elite.
Pottery,
comma-shaped
jewels,
bronzes,
and
other
funerary
artifacts
have
been
excavated
from
these
dolmen.
The
culture
of
the
people
during
this
time
can
be
gleaned
from
the
evidence
left
by
the
dolmen.
Additionally,
the
stones
show
how
stone
was
quarried,
transported,
and
used
to
build
dolmen. |
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Dolmen
in
Korea
have
been
dated
to
the
seventh
century
BCE
in
locations
such
as
Gochang
and
the
practice
ended
around
the
third
century
BCE.
The
dolmen
culture
is
linked
with
the
Neolithic
and
bronze
cultures
of
Korea. |
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Excavation
at
the
sites
did
not
begin
until
1965.
Since,
then
multiple
digs
have
been
sponsored
and
an
extensive
program
of
inventory
and
preservation
has
been
initiated
by
the
Korean
government. |
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