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  • History of Baekje
  • Components Related to the Each Period
  • Ungjin Period(Gongju)
  • Sabi Period(Buyeo)
  • Sabi Period(Iksan)
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  • Conservation Efforts toward World Heritage Status
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The Archaeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busosanseong Fortress were location of the royal palace of the Sabi Period to the north of the current downtown area of Buyeo. It is currently located at the southern foot of Busosan Mountain (106m). The Geumgang River flows around the downtown area from north to west, and then south. To the south of Busosanseong Fortress, a flat terrain in Buyeo was suitable for a location of the royal palace.

Excavation into these sites began in 1980. After more than thirty years of research, most of the structure of the royal palace of Baekje has now been identified.

These sites were proved as the royal palace of baekje for the following reasons:

• A large building site covering 650㎡, regarded as the facilities of the royal palace, was discovered. A gilt-bronze waist belt was unearthed from a temple site at Busosan Mountain, located on a north-south axis from the building site. These findings indicated that the area was once a residential area of kings, as the belt could only have belonged to a king in such a strictly hierarchical society.
• Rooftiles with the inscription of the royal court, large stone structures, and the Monument to Liu Renyuan of Tang China were all found around the area, raising the likelihood that it was the site of a royal palace.
• The Korean dynasties after the fall of Baekje established local government offices in this area. The structures of buildings constructed during the Baekje Period were reused to build new government offices, thus providing further evidence that the area was the royal palace of Baekje.

Temple Site of Busosan Mountain

A Buddhist temple site of Baekje is located on the southwestern slope of Busosan Mountain. Archaeological excavation was carried out in 1980, revealing that this temple covered about 3,500㎡. The temple was laid out in the typical “one pagoda, one prayer hall” style, but there are no signs of a lecture hall. While most temple sites dating to the Sabi Period stood on flat land with a slight slope, this temple site was differently situated along the mountain ridge. The temple was built for the royal family, given that well-trimmed stones were used to build the platform, and a gilt-bronze waist belt that would have been used by a person of the highest rank, was found among the archaeological findings.

Water Supply Facilities

Two large wooden water tanks were found. After filtering out impurities from the tanks, water flowed through a 40-meter-long pipe. The tanks had two functions: collecting and supplying water. The pipe connected to the tanks was made by joining two convex roof tiles.

Storage Facilities

Five underground wooden storage facilities, three stone storage facilities, and various pits were found. A wide variety of plant remains was discovered inside the storage facilities, including oriental melons, hardy kiwis, peaches, apricots, dishcloth gourds, and cucumbers, along with an enormous number of oriental melon seeds. The storage facilities were largely used for storing plant-based foods. Wooden storage facility No. 1 was made by digging a rectangular pit measuring 8㎡ in area and placing a wooden chamber made with timber and woodblocks inside it.

Lotus Pond

Excavation revealed a rectangular pond measuring 10.6m in width by 6.2m in length. It was made by digging a hole 1m to 1.2m deep and piling up five to six layers of stones in the hole. A waterway waterpipe made of tiles, channeling water into the pond, was found in the north of the pond. Inside the pond lotus petals and stems were found.

A rammed-earth technique was used to build the walls of the fortress. This technique was also used in constructing Naseong City Wall. The construction work began by erecting supporting trees to prevent the earth from being swept away. The fortress was then built inside these supports by tamping down layers of clay soil and decomposed granite soil, each in turn. In order to prevent the fortress wall from slipping down the steep incline, stone slabs were used to reinforce the stonework. A rammed layer was built inside the central earthwork for extra reinforcement.

The South Gate Site and the East Gate Site, were identified within the fortress. The South Gate was the main gate for the Busosanseong Fortress. Three pit house sites served as barracks in Baekje Periods, were discovered in the southwestern part of the fortress.

Other Archaeological Findings around the Archaeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busosanseong Fortress

The Archaeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri contains diverse structural remains including building sites, roads, stonework and workshops of Baekje. Furthermore, building sites such as stoneworks, water storage facilities, wooden barricades and various other archaeological findings were excavated inside the Busosanseong Fortress, indicating that the fortress was used as a key military base for over 1,000 years after its construction.