800-Year-Old Bamboo Invoices Found in Shipwreck

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

About 1,400 pieces of Goryeo relics, including wooden tabs inscribed with information about the articles onboard, were excavated from a shipwreck near Taean's Mado Island, South Chungcheong Province, in a recent underwater project.

The National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage said Wednesday that the discovery includes ceramics, grains and wooden products.

Among others, the excavation team recovered 64 pieces of "mokgan," or wooden labels, including "jukgan," or bamboo tabs, which record information about shipping, departure times, destinations, recipients, and kinds and amounts of the cargo.

This is the first discovery ever of bamboo tabs from the Goryeo era, which are inscribed with the records of the invoice.

The institute said that according to the wooden invoices, the cargo shipwrecked while sailing to deliver grains, fermented fish sauce and porcelain from Haenam, Naju and Jangheung in South Jeolla Province to a high-ranking general in Gaegyeong (now Gaeseong, North Korea, the capital city of Goryeo) in the winter of 1207 to 1208.

The maritime excavation also found an inlaid celadon kettle patterned with a gourd dipper, which is considered a national treasure.

chungay@koreatimes.co.kr

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