The Research On Koguryo Mountain City-sites In Liaodong Area

The research on mountain city-sites of Koguryo is one of the most important topicsin Koguryo archeology. The Koguryo mountain city-sites are material evidence forstudying the process of enlargement of Koguryo territory. They were not only used asprotective structures during wars, but also served as the basic infrastructures forestablishing control of Koguryo territory. The article collects archaeological features oftypical Koguryo mountain city-sites using archaeological methods and redetermines themountain city-sites in Liaodong area. Then discusses the distribution, type, stage andevolution of them. At last, the artlcie discusses the grade of mountain city-sites inLiaodong area and the western defense system during the later period of Koguryo.The article includes six chapters:The first chapter is the introduction. This part introduces the chronological scope ofthis thesis, which is from the foundation of the Koguryo state to its perdition. Thenintroduces the present research situation of the Koguryo mountain city-sites in Liaodongarea. It also introduces the purpose, methods and limitations of this thesis.The second chapter is to discuss the archaeological features of Koguryo mountaincity-sites. The first section is the recognition conditions of Koguryo mountain city-sites.The article analyses the various archaeological characteristics of Koguryo mountaincity-sites, then puts out the recognition conditions of Koguryo mountain city-sites. In thesecend section, this article redetermines the Koguryo mountain city-sites in Liaodongarea.The third chapter focuses on the distribution and type of Koguryo mountaincity-sites. The first part is the the distribution of Koguryo mountain city-sites in Liaodongarea. The Koguryo mountain city-sites in Liaodong area are divided into three majorzones, they are Liaodong mountain zone, the left bank of Liao river to Qianshanmountain zone and Liaodong peninsula zone. The second part is about the scale ofmountain city-sites. The Koguryo mountain city-sites in Liaodong area are divided intobig, middle and small sizes. The third part is the analysis of mountain natural form,which includes the summit form, the corn form and the saddle form. The fourth part is about the type of the Koguryo mountain city-sites. They are divided into two types,which include a single city type, left and right city-inside and outside city type.The fourth chapter focuses on the periodization and evolution of Koguryo mountaincity-sites. Taking the twice time when Koguryo moved its capital as the dividing line, thisarticle divides the Koguryo mountain city-sites in Liaodong area into three periods-earlyperiod, middle period and later period, which based on the territorial expansion processof Koguryo, the differences of fortification method, the changes of ancillary facilitiesinside and outside the mountain city-sites, the change of the unearthed relics and so on.The three periods are capital "Five Female Mountain Castle " to capital "Guonei City";capital "Guonei City" to capital Pyongyang area; capital Pyongyang area to the perditionof Koguryo. The article also analysis the characteristics of Koguryo mountain city-sitesduring each period.The fifth chapter discusses the stage of Koguryo mountain city-sites and the westerndefense system during the later period of Koguryo.The first section is about the stage ofKoguryo mountain city-sites. This article divides the Koguryo mountain city-sites intothree types based on its different functions. The first type is the mountain city-site whichis not only important military stronghold city, but also political rule city.The second typeis the mountain city-site which is not only important military stronghold city, but alsoregional administrative center. The third type is the mountain city-site which only hasmilitary defense function. The second section is about the Koguryo western defensesystem. Combined with the distribution of Koguryo mountain city-sites in Liaodong areaduring the later period, we can see a thousands of miles line which is made of mountaincity-sites along the western boundary of Koguryo. In addition, the Koguryo mountaincity-sites that distributed in the Big Yanghe River basin and the Biliuhe River Basin forma defensive ring of mountain city-sites.Both of them constitute the western defensesystem during the later period of Koguryo.The sixth chapter is the conclusion. Research results are summarized in this part,then points out the limitation of the study.