19 bronze artifacts discovered in Chungju

Nineteen bronze artifacts including slender bronze daggers have been found in the tombs of the early Iron Age. It is the largest number of bronze artifacts found in a single burial mound.

The Cultural Heritage Administration said on Monday, “One wooden coffin with stone mound and two wooden coffins, which are estimated to be made around 1 or 2 B.C., have been found in Hoam-dong, Chungju City of North Chungcheong Province.” A wooden coffin with stone mound refers to a wooden coffin in a hole in the ground surrounded by stones. A wooden coffin is a wooden coffin without being covered by stones.

The wooden coffins with stone mound produced seven slender bronze daggers, one mirror with two knobs, three bronze socketed spearheads, one bronze dagger-axe, and one bronze axe.

“As the tombs have never been robbed and are well preserved, we believe they could help us find how tombs were created in the early Iron Age,” said Lee Eun-seok, a researcher of the heritage administration.

The excavation was made during a study conducted for the construction of a sports complex town by Chungju City, which won the bid for the National Sports Festival.