Sokcho Joyang Archaeological Site

In 1990, a team of archaeologists were doing a pre-construction dig on a hill in a new residential area where they discovered the remains of seven bronze age dugout houses and two dolmens. They also found some pottery and a bronze axe from the same era. Evidence suggests that people were living on the hill in the 8th century BCE.

Sokcho Joyang Neighbourhood Prehistoric Archaeological Site. Archaeological Site No. 376

The city or the state registered the hill as an historical site and park before developers could bury it forever under apartment buildings. In 2014 the city was convinced to relax the height restrictions on buildings surrounding the hill but I guess high-rises won't appear until the lower residential and commercial buildings in the neighbourhood are torn down for redevelopment.

Five of the seven houses were reconstructed and the pottery and axe moved to the Sokcho Museum. I couldn't see the dolmen in the park. I may have just missed them or they've also been moved to the museum. I should go to the museum soon to have a look.

I visited this site once last year but I didn't get any good photos because it was a very bright day and the contrast was too high. Also, I wasn't sure how to photograph the houses. But on my return trip I had better weather, I avoided getting the sky in the photos as much as possible to avoid the bad contrast, and I decided to go for form rather than content. The results were much better.

My favourite composition of the day

Pits were dug about 40-60 centimetres deep and covered with fine clay. Then the structures were built over that.

I was trying to create interesting design rather than documenting the site.

Ah, the sky! It wasn't that late in the morning, but the contrast was already quite high. But it worked in this photo to separate the roof from the ground and walls.

I made these photos with a digital camera, but I actually went the day before with a film camera when the weather was wetter. I don't know what the pictures are like because I haven't got the film developed yet. Probably not as good because I had cheap film in the camera and I wasn't as sure what to photograph. I'll share later if there is anything good. I guess I will visit this place again, possibly in winter when it looks different. In the meantime, I'm happy with the pictures I've shared in this post.