Comparative Study on the Foundation Engineering Technology of Pungnap Fortress —Focusing on Chinese cases

This paper analyzes the foundational construction techniques of Pungnap Earthen Fortress in Seoul and compares them with examples of Chinese earthen fortresses, exploring their respective characteristics. Elements such as the position and structure of the fortresses, which had previously been overlooked, were examined, and commonalities were derived from components such as foundational planning, stone or gravel bedding, wooden pilings, use of the earthen mound method, and the use of stone facings on walls. Through this, we inferred the process of the introduction of Pungnap Earthen Fortress's foundational techniques and inspected the progression of foundational engineering. A significant number of foundational construction techniques used in the construction of Pungnap Earthen Fortress were identified as techniques commonly used in China at the time for the construction of earthen fortresses, bridges, and harbor facilities. Especially, the discovery of these techniques in the regions of Liaodong and Xuantu provides clues about the origin and transmission routes of the foundational techniques of Pungnap Earthen Fortress. Furthermore, the construction method using the earth mound method is not found frequently in China as a comparable case, leading to the assessment that it evolved as a unique foundational technique within Baekje. In essence, Baekje adopted foreign techniques and combined them with indigenous methods to complete the large-scale structure known as Pungnap Earthen Fortress. The foundational techniques utilized in the construction of Pungnap Earthen Fortress continued to be applied and developed in the outer city wall, Buyeo and the mountain fortresses of the later periods of Baekje, and were eventually transmitted to Japan.