ARCHITECTURE

The Packche Kingdom

No wooden structures from the Paekche Kingdom survive today, but there are several temple buildings in Japan which were built by artisans from Paekche, providing modern scholars of Paekche architecture with some valuable clues. A small gilt bronze pagoda from the Paekche period now housed at the Puyo National Museum also provides many hints about wooden architecture during this period. The bracketwork is identical to that of the Horyuji Temple in Nara, Japan. Archaeological excavations at the Chongnimsa Temple site in Puyo as well as other temple sites in the Puyo area reveal the high level of technical skill and refinement achieved by Paekche craftsmen as well as the splendor of the buildings they created. The Miruksa Temple site in Iksan, North Cholla Province has also provided important data on Paekche architecture. Among the many finds have been stone lanterns and the foundation stones for the columns and terraces on which the temple structure stood. Private houses were simple structures with wooden floors. One record indicates that these houses were reached by ladders. Archaeologists excavating the Miruksa and Imgangsa temple sites have exhumed tall foundation stones on which wooden floors would have rested. It would appear that this feature was adapted from private houses. The raised floor and heating system later became a characteristic structure of the Korean house.

The Silla Kingdom

Each of the Three Kingdoms-Koguryo, Paekche and Silla-had its own character, but as the population was chiefly of northern origin, they had similar customs, language, social structure, and culture. Official buildings, such as palaces and temples, were similar in all three kingdoms. Architectural remains from the Silla Kingdom include the Cb'omsongdae observatory in Kyongju. This structure consists of a round tower built on a square base with four large stone beams placed transversely over the top of the tower. Another stone structure is the pagoda at Punhwangsa Temple, erected in 634 A number of other pagodas of a northern type have been found near Andong in North Kyongsang Province Wooden pagodas were also built, but only the foundations remain today Judging from these foundations, octagonal pagodas were common throughout the Koguryo, Silla and Koryo periods, although it is unclear whether Paekche had such pagodas. Archaeological evidence of Silla period palace architecture includes the Wolsong site, of which the gate has been most recently excavated. Stone mountain fortifications can be found around the country. Kwanmunsongin Ulsan is a long wall which guards the pass from the West Sea to Kyongju. Samnyonsansong an important military post in Poun, North Ch'ungch'ong Province, was built in 470 to open the road to the West Sea from Silla.

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