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The southeast Seoul region was the early center of Baekje, an ancient kingdom that emerged in the central part of the Korean Peninsula. However, extensive urban development has significantly altered the original topography, imposing limitations on understanding the ancient landscape and archeological remains. This study aims to identify the geoenvironmental conditions of the area prior to urbanization and examine how they influenced the settlement location and architectural activities of early Baekje. Using topographic, geological, and landform maps, the study reconstructs the pre-urbanization geoenvironment. In addition, drilling data were employed to reproduce the spatial distribution of soil. The findings indicate that terraces, natural levees, and clay layers were key geoenvironmental elements. Among these, terraces and levees were preferred for residential sites in early Baekje. Clay plains were used for wet rice cultivation, and locally available clay resources appear to have been actively utilized as building materials. These results suggest that early Baekje communities adapted to and actively utilized their environmental conditions to support their development. This study enhances the understanding of land-use patterns in early Baekje and provides a foundational reference for predicting the distribution of buried cultural heritage and designating conservation areas, offering practical implications for urban archeology.
Lee et al. (Mon,) studied this question.