The National Heritage Administration’s National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage has completed the preservation of a plow from the Three Kingdoms period excavated at the Mongchon Earthen Fortress.

Success in Restoring the Original Form of the Goguryeo ‘Lying Plow’ Over Two Years… To Be Exhibited at the Hanseong Baekje Museum, ‘The National Institute of Cultural Heritage’s Cultural Heritage Conservation Science Center announced on the 24th that it had completed the preservation process of a plow from the Three Kingdoms period, which was excavated at the Mongchon Earthen Fort’s water reservoir and is currently being excavated by the Hanseong Baekje Museum. This process took about two years.’,
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, ‘The plow, whose preservation has just been completed, is the third artifact of its kind excavated from the Mongchon Earthen Fort’s water reservoir as of June 2023. It is believed to be a “lying plow” where the body part is parallel to the ground—a form primarily used in the northern regions of the Korean Peninsula.’,
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, ‘Scientific investigations revealed that the plow was crafted using woodworking tools on oak species known for their physical strength. Radiocarbon dating established that the plow was made between 534 and 640 when Goguryeo temporarily occupied the Mongchon Earthen Fort.’,
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, ‘At the time of excavation, the plow had been severely degraded and weakened due to prolonged burial and exposure to moisture and microorganisms. To counteract this, the Cultural Heritage Conservation Science Center reinforced the wooden structure by infiltrating it with water-soluble polyethylene glycol resin and utilized the vacuum freeze-drying method to minimize shape distortion during the drying process. The blade part, difficult to join due to shrinkage and deformation, was virtually restored through 3D scanning.’,
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, ‘The preserved plow will be used for exhibition and research at the Hanseong Baekje Museum, where it is housed.’,
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, ‘The Cultural Heritage Conservation Science Center plans to continue its efforts to ensure that the invaluable heritage’s full worth can be passed down to future generations through systematic preservation treatment of various excavated cultural assets.’,
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