Ancient Writings and Thereafter



  ㅇPeriod: Wednesday, October 05 - Sunday, November 27, 2011
ㅇVenue: Special Exhibition Gallery in the permanent exhibition hall (1st floor)
ㅇExhibits: about 400 relics of ancient writings including
“a rubbed copy of the inscription on King Gwanggaeto's Monument”

This exhibition gives a glimpse at the lives of past Koreans through their writings. It is composed of four parts plus an introduction section, “From Pictures to Writing,” which explains the transition from the prehistoric period to the historic period through changes in people’s method of expression.

Part 1 shows “The Acceptance of Writing and Methods of Communication before Writing.” Under the theme “Writings and Rule,” Part 2 explores the varied use of writings in rule as reflected in stone monuments, wooden tablets, bronze swords and bronze mirrors, and written documents, which also reflect the lives of farmers and officials. Part 3, “Writings in Daily Life,” shows aspects of the daily lives of people of the past such as food and medicine, housing and architecture, trade and distribution through writings found on ceramics, tiles, bricks, and wooden tablets. Part 4, “Thought, Religion and Writings,” sheds light on thought and religious life of the past including Buddhism and native folk beliefs through such items as Buddhist images, bells, and Buddhist sutras. The closing part of the exhibition is titled “The Korean Language and Script—the Invention of Idu.” It highlights the efforts made by the people of the time to represent the Korean language in writing with a system called Idu, through examples written on wooden tablets, stone monuments, and stone inscriptions.  

Overall, this exhibition adopts the storytelling method and features videos and photos of the Ulju rock carvings, the Silla village registers and King Gwanggaeto’s Stone Monument for the ease and convenience of visitors. Exhibition materials that will prove helpful to the education of Korean history will also be provided. When the exhibition closes in Seoul, it is headed for Gyeongju National Museum and Buyeo National Museum, thus providing a larger number of people the opportunity to learn about the letters used by Koreans of the past. 

Click here for the exhibition details!