Gochang Dolmen Site Course 5


[Guide]
"The 5th course of the Gochang Dolmen Site is located on the southern slope of Seongteulbong Peak, adjacent to Gochangcheon Stream. There are 220 dolmens at the foot of a mountain that runs about 900 meters along Gochang Stream."

[Student]
"There are 220 dolmens here? That's a lot. By the way, what kind of dolmens are there?”

[Guide]
"The dolmens on Gochang Dolmen Site Course 5 are divided into four clusters, consisting of 135 go-board dolmens, 25 semi-exposed dolmens, and 60 dolmens of unknown styles.

[Student]
"Can you tell us the type and characteristics of each dolmen?”

[Guide]
"Yes, certainly. First of all, go-board dolmens are also known as foundation dolmens. Go-board dolmens have a burial chamber built underground made of flag stones or broken and natural stones, and 4 to 8 supporting stones are erected around them with a large capstone placed on top. These dolmens, which look grand as they are raised above the surface, have large capstones, and some of them are large with oddly-shaped stones, many of which do not have distinct burial chambers.

The semi-exposed dolmen is a type of table dolmen, and it used several pieces of flagstones to build a burial chamber. The burial chamber is of a slightly semi-underground form and has a thick capstone. The unique feature of these dolmens is that they belong to the table dolmens, while they have propping stones that are found on go-board dolmens."

[Student]
"What are the characteristics of the dolmen site course 5?"

[Guide]
"The most distinctive characteristic of course 5 is that there are four clusters covering the area of about 800 meters, and each cluster has a series of dolmens in a line. It also features over 2 to 3 large dolmens of various shapes by cluster, and a significant number of modified table dolmens like semi-exposed dolmens are located here.

[Man]
Large dolmens are built in the best locations of each cluster, such as No. 1117 in the first cluster, No. 1239 in the second cluster, and No. 1321 in the third cluster. Among them, No. 1321 is estimated to weigh about 100 tons, and it is believed to have served as an altar to mark the graveyard, as it is located independently on relatively high land.


[Woman]
Given that the dolmens on course 5 are formed in groups, and most of them appear in rows, it is sometimes regarded as a cemetery for a group based on blood ties or as a graveyard for a ruling group.