가을 Vol.9 No.3 AUTUMN 2016 가을 AUTUMN 2016 Vol.9 No.3 2016 Vol.9 ISSN 2005-0151 OnOn the the Cover Cover One of the most definitive Korean stringed instruments, the gayageum is recorded in the 12th-century history Samguk sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) as being invented by King Gasil of the ancient Ko- rean confederacy of Gaya (42–562). It is noted for its soft and beautiful tones and is widely adopted in ensembles with other instruments. autumn Contents 02 03 04 Korean Heritage in Focus Exploration of Korean Heritage 32 The 40th Anniversary of the Discovery of the Sinan Shipwreck Exquisite Korean Artifacts on Display Overseas Conservation Science Provides Cultural Heritage with a New Lease on Life Culture Day Events at the National Palace Museum of Korea Connecting the World through Ancestral Dances Traditional Weddings as a Precious Cultural Legacy of the Past 04 10 20 26 16 32 40 44 48 16 Korean Heritage for the World Cultural Heritage Administration Headlines 52 Traditional Hyanggyo Schools: History and Modern Role CHA News Reflection onIlseongnok , the “Records of Daily Reflections” CHA Events Traditional Instrument Makers: Creators of Gorgeous Sounds Korean Heritage in Focus 04 05 This year marks the 40th anniversary of the initiation of the Sinan excavation, which was inspired by a few ceramic vessels caught in a fishing net in the waters off Jeungdo Island. The underwater excavation was conducted over nine years from its first phase starting on October 26, 1976 to the eleventh installment in 1984, uncovering a number of breakthrough archaeological findings and receiving enormous attention in the media. The high-profile extended excavation project provoked enthusiastic national interest in “treasure ships,” which also gave birth to the social issue of archaeological treasure hunting. The nine-year research project resulted in the discovery of a shipwreck and about 23,500 objects, including ceramics, coins, timber products, and medicinal herbs. The starboard section of a The Sinan ship restored after conservation treatment merchant ship measuring 28.4 meters in length and A celadon vase with peony 6.6 in width was excavated (the portion remaining from the original 34 by design; one of the vessels 11 meter ship). As a vessel of Chinese origin from the Yuan Dynasty (1271– found in a fishing net in the waters off Jeungdo 1368), the Sinan shipwreck, along with the artifacts she carried, elaborately Island that led to the excavation of the Sinan The 40th Anniversary of the testifies to the international trade taking place along the Silk Road in East shipwreck Discovery of the Sinan Shipwreck Asia during the Middle Ages. A large commercial vessel built in Fujian Province, China, the ship excavated in Sinan displays a V-shaped cross section with a large keel Text by Kim Byung-keun, ‌Underwater Excavation Division, at the bottom. The bow of the ship is narrow at the base to improve National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage maneuverability, widens toward the top, and the stern is wider than the bow. Photos by ‌the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage and National Museum of Korea The Sinan shipwreck possesses great symbolic significance as a material Goryeo celadon pieces from the Sinan shipwreck The excavation of a shipwreck in the waters off Jeungdo Island in remnant of Silk Road trade along maritime Sinan, South Jeolla Province, sparked the rapid advancement of routes. underwater archaeology as a unique academic discipline in Korea. Since the excavation of the Sinan shipwreck, a series of further The finds from the international trading underwater archaeological projects have been carried out, including ship discovered at Sinan were mostly of at Wando in South Jeolla Province, Biando and Sibidongpado Islands Chinese origin, but a small selection of in North Jeolla Province, and Daeseom and Mado Islands in South goods from both Goryeo (a Korean dynasty; Chungcheong Province. Bringing to light twelve Korean and two 918–1392) and Japan were also included. Chinese ships, along with the tens of thousands of artifacts associated Among the finds of Goryeo origin, the with them, the underwater excavations of the past four decades have ceramic articles and bronze spoons in established Korea as a leader in East Asian underwater archaeology. particular were manufactured in a unique Korean Heritage in Focus 06 07 Uncovered items that were rendered in stone, glass, or bone were purportedly used by the people on board for cooking, recording, and recreational purposes, rather than as trade goods. Wooden objects including boxes, bowls, small tables, and lacquered bowls, and red sandalwood beams were excavated intact. There were also mokgan, or “wooden cargo tags,” offering vital clues as to when the ship sank, where the cargo was destined, and how much of each type of good was loaded. Ceramics excavated from the Sinan shipwreck Vegetation was also included among the findings. Goryeo style, and the wooden clogs (geta), ceramic vessels, and knives from It is highly likely that medicinal herbs and spices were Japan appear to be everyday objects used by people on the ship. being traded at the time. The seeds excavated are assumed to be residues of Wooden cargo tags with inscriptions indicating the fruits consumed by people aboard the ship. destination of the cargo Mainly trade goods, the cargo carried by the Sinan shipwreck came in diverse types and materials. The ceramic wares are largely from Song The year that the ship sank was confirmed as 1323 by an inscription on (960–1279) or Yuan China. As a popular export of China, ceramics were the wooden cargo tags. While very few documentary records related to trade sold extensively around the globe, including in Asia, Europe, and Africa between Goryeo and China remain from this time, the Sinan artifacts clearly over a period spanning from the 9th or 10th to 19th centuries. China’s demonstrate that although it may not have been active, trade by sea was ceramics were regarded at the time as valuable goods worldwide. Produced indeed being conducted between the two countries by trading ships departing at renowned kilns in China including Jingdezhen Yao and Longquan Yao, from Zhejiang Province. The three-way trade among China, Goryeo, and the ceramic goods excavated from the Sinan shipwreck speak volumes about Chinese coins from the Japan centered on the ports of Ningbo in China, Yeseong (or Ryesong) in Sinan wreck the vibrant maritime trade occurring during the Yuan Dynasty. Goryeo, and Hakata in Japan. In Japan, coins emerged as a mainstream import after the mid-12th century. From the mid-11th century, traders from Few metal objects were found, about 720 in number. Kaesong, the capital of Goryeo, made inroads into Japan. As Hakata gained However, the number of metal artifacts rockets to about in prominence as a port they established trade companies there to pursue eight million if coins are counted. The coins found at the ongoing trade activities. Sinan shipwreck span a vast period of about 1,300 years, covering from Xin (8–23) to Yuan China. The excavation The excavation of a ship which conducted international trade along of such a large volume of Chinese coins indicates that maritime Silk Road routes offered a great deal of materials useful for Goryeo and Japan imported coins from China to be enhancing the understanding of East Asia during the Middle Ages in used as local currency. Among the metal finds, a weight terms of social and economic conditions, shipbuilding, international trade, inscribed with the Chinese characters Qingyuan Lu, and arts and crafts. It also provided momentum for the establishment of meaning “Qingyuan circuit,” provided clear evidence for the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage and of the ascertaining the ship’s port of departure. “Qingyuan” is Gwangju National Museum. The finds from the Sinan shipwreck were an old name for the modern port of Ningbo in Zhejiang initially maintained at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, but as local Province, China. communities expressed their passionate desire to house the Sinan artifacts Korean Heritage in Focus 08 09 close to their origins, the government established a national museum with a dedicated exhibition hall allocated to the Sinan wreck in 1978 in Gwangju, a metropolitan city within South Jeolla Province, to complement the Sinan gallery at the National Museum of Korea. Although the needs for exhibiting the Sinan finds were generally satisfied by the display spaces of the two museum institutions, conservation and storage and the recovery of the hull remained as major efforts. In 1981 the Cultural Properties Management Bureau (the precursor of the Cultural Heritage Administration) initiated the Mokpo Conservation Center in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, as an auxiliary organization for the Conservation Science Division of the National Research Institute of The restoration of the Sinan ship Cultural Heritage, a research arm of the Cultural Properties Management To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Sinan excavation, the Bureau. The Mokpo Conservation National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage is preparing Center started off as a temporary a wide variety of celebratory events for 2016. Gathering underwater organization housed in a makeshift archaeologists and ocean historians from across the Asia and Pacific region, office building equipped only with a three-day international conference will begin on October 26, the date on a space for desalinating the hull which the Sinan excavation was launched. Special exhibitions are also in and a two-member staff. However, the works: An international exchange exhibition is slated for November it quickly grew into the Mokpo 28, 2016 to March 1, 2017 showcasing the achievements of Chinese Maritime Heritage Conservation underwater excavation and oceanic Silk Road routes from Ming China Center in 1990, the National (1368–1644).