Archaeological Analysis of the Pit Dwellings of Joseon Period in the Anseong City, Gyeonggi Province: Based on Hwanggol Site of Majeong-ri, Anseong

Abstract

This paper is an analytical research of semi-subterranean houses in the Joseon period, focusing on the temporal changes in the structure and artifacts. Total 29 dwellings of the Joseon period were unearthed at Hwanggol site of Majeong-ri in Anseong. The floor plans of the houses were rectangular, square, circular, oval, unclear, and 呂-shaped. Along with pits and postholes, there were fireplaces and floor heating systems as internal facilities of the houses. Total 13 fireplaces were classified into A type and B type according to the structure. Type A, being built with protruding the house wall in a reversed U-shape, was larger than type B being built on the house wall. Considering its quite small size and absence of cooking-related facilities and tools, the fireplace seemed to have performed function of lighting or heating rather than that of cooking. The structure of only 3 was recognizable out of the 6 floor heating systems uncovered at Hangul site. The floor heating systems were reported from only unclear and 呂- shaped floor plan houses. The space of the 呂-shaped floor plan house was separated by heating facility centering on the fireplace. In the flue system consisting of a fireplace, a flue system part, and a smoke control part, a line of flue system was connected to the smoke control part by turning in a circular or square way along the house wall. The floor heating system of unclear floor plan house at the west slope of the site consisted of a fireplace and a flue system part, and the 3 lines of flue system extended to the direction of the contour. Classification of these houses based on heating and cooking facilities yielded 3 main types and 4 subtypes as following: TypeⅠ with no facilities, TypeⅡ only with a fireplace, TypeⅢ only with a floor heating system; TypeⅡ was again subdivided intoTypeⅡ-1 and Ⅱ-2 to the projection of smoke control part or not; TypeⅢ was also subdivided into TypeⅢ-1 and Ⅲ-2 to the structure of floor heating system. Consideration on uncovered artifacts helped to divided houses into two groups. While one group of houses yielded buncheong ware (a grayish-blue-powdered celadon), bamboo - joint foots, and white porcelains with clay support , the other group yielded white porcelains with sand support without buncheong ware. Buncheong ware was popular from the late 15C to 16C, bamboo-joint foot and white porcelain with clay support were popular from the early 15C to the late 16C. Considering the emergence of the sand support technique in the 17C, the date of houses was divided into before and after the 17C. Hwanggol site of Majeong-ri in Anseong, yielding archaeological features including pit houses, sites of buildings, firing features, and drainage facilities can be understood as residential sites occupied from the 15C to 17C and after.