Did you know Korea has the largest concentration of dolmens (stone tombs shaped similarly to tables) in the world?
UNESCO designated the Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa dolmen sites in Korea as World Heritage Sites in December of 2000. Korea is called a country of dolmens because it accounts for 40% of the world’s dolmens. There is another fact that people don’t know about. Some of the dolmens found in Korea contain astronomical engravings that show surprisingly accurate constellations. Dolmens engraved with star charts are found in Pyeongyang in North Korea and Chungcheongbukdo Province in South Korea. These dolmens are important relics from the ancient Korean kingdom of Gojoseon(2333–108 B.C.).
In 1978, an interesting stone slab was found in a dolmen site in the town of Cheongwon in Chungchengbukdo Province. The slab had 65 holes of various sizes engraved on it. Researchers found that the holes represent the Big
Dipper, the Little Bear, the Dragon, and Cassiopeia, showing the sky around 500 B.C. Ancient star charts have historical significance because they reflect the level of science at the time. Star charts comprise important evidence for the civilization of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. A stone slab found in North Korea contains a star chart that shows the sky around 3000 B.C. It precedes the star chart on the ancient Babylonian boundary stone that shows the sky around 1200 B.C.
