Yongin City Opens 'Seori Goryeo Baekja Kiln Site' Excavation to the Public

At the Temporary Promotion Center in Seori, Idong-eup Until the 17th
Viewing Goryeo Dynasty Kilns, Stratified Mounds, and Artifacts

Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province announced on June 11 that it will open the excavation site of the 'Yongin Seori Goryeo Baekja Kiln Site,' a nationally designated historic site, to the public from June 11 to June 17.

The 'Yongin Seori Goryeo Baekja Kiln Site' is a Goryeo Dynasty porcelain kiln site excavated in the Seori area of Idong-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin City. Through three rounds of excavation from 1984 to 1988, it was designated as a historic site of Korea in 1989.

During the excavation, a massive kiln site measuring 83 meters in length was discovered, along with stratified layers that clearly show the chronological changes in the forms of Goryeo celadon and white porcelain from the mid-10th century to the early 12th century.

From 2021 to last year, the fourth and fifth rounds of excavation were conducted in the protected area around the kiln site. During this process, the remains of buildings used as workshops for kiln operation and pits where ritual vessels intended for state delivery were intensively buried were also discovered.

Currently, a detailed excavation is underway, focusing on the kiln section and both lateral stratified mounds that were investigated in the 1980s. The city expects that the results of this investigation will allow for a detailed understanding of the overlapping patterns of kilns constructed over a period of more than 150 years, as well as the overall stratigraphic structure of the mounds.

To share the findings of the investigation so far, the city has set up a temporary promotional center at the excavation site. The center will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the public viewing period. Visitors can observe the site and excavated artifacts with explanations provided by archaeologists.

To share the results of the excavation and discuss future directions for the preservation of the site, the city plans to hold an academic conference titled 'Key Issues in the Study of Goryeo Ceramics through the Expanded Excavation of the Yongin Seori Kiln Site' at the International Conference Room of the Yongin Cultural Arts Center on June 13.