Baekje Sabi-Doseong and Local Cities During the Sabi Era

Abstract

This paper studies the establishment and development of ancient cities during the Baekje Sabi era(A.D.538~660) by considering both the capital and local cities.<BR> The Baekje capital Sabi-Doseong was the center of around 10 thousand households with various defense systems, including an outer castle in an attempt to protect citizens. The capital had a royal palace, government offices and a certain degree of orderly boulevards in its center. Inside the capital, aristocracy was organized and controlled through 5 Bu system (administrative districts in a capital), and non-farmers such as potters of roof-tiles and earthenware resided. The outer castle formed a boundary between inside and outside of the capital, and the view of many buildings with roof-tiles, including Buddhist temples, differentiated the palace from the neighboring areas. In this context. Sabi-Doseong was not a Kings bedroom but an ancient city. the center of politics, economy, religion and culture.<BR> For a local cities during the Sabi era, I examined Wungjin castle and Iksan province. Wungjin castle, the northern one among the 5 Bang system (administrative districts in provinces) had temples such as Daetong-temple, holy places including kings tombs of Wungjin era(A.D.475~538), and vestiges of the 5 Bu system with facilities related to the palace and defense. However, considering that no archaeological evidence related to production and trade has been found inside or outside the castle, it was presumed to be a political, military and administrative center rather than economic one.<BR> Iksan province, developed for political purposes by King Mu(A.D.600~641), had defense facilities such as Ogeum-castle, religious facilities such as Mireuk temple site, tombs such as Ssangreung and production facilities such as workshops for bronze objects and pottery kilns. Considering the chronicles of historic sites of Wanggung-ri site and Mireuk temple site, a certain organization in Wanggung-ri might take part in the establishment and management of Mireuk temple. Consequently, ancient cities existed in Sabi-Doseong, Wungjin and Iksan areas during the Sabi era.