Re-evaluating the Chronology of Hanseong Baekje: Evidence from Pungnaptoseong's Ceramic Artifacts

The Pungnaptoseong site in Seoul has been revealed to be a large-scale fortress, constructed using the rammed-earth wall method, that may have served as the capital of Baekje during the Hanseong period from around 18 B.C.E. to C.E. 475. Excavation of Chinese coin-pattern pottery and Baekje’s distinctive roof-end tiles from the Gyeongdang district within Pungnaptoseong raised high expectations for dating the Hanseong Baekje period more precisely. This article investigates the chronology of the Chinese glazed coin-pattern pottery from Gyeongdang. Existing evidence suggests it may date as early as the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.E. - C.E. 220) or as late as China’s Three Kingdoms period (C.E. 220 – 280). Moreover, only one of the roof-end tiles at Pungnaptoseong exhibits a coin pattern; the majority feature unique designs distinct from those found on ceramic artifacts from neighboring polities. Such evidence complicates the placement of ceramic jars and roof-end tiles in specific periods of time, prompting a reconsideration of the established chronology for Hanseong Baekje.