history

The resourceful and talented Korean ancestors had already observed astronomical and meteorological phenomena in the ancient times, engraved them on stones, studied them and tried to grasp their essence.

The constellations carved on the lid stones of dolmens in different parts of Korea, including Hwagang-ri of Kangdong County and Sunan District of Pyongyang and Sangwon County of North Hwanghae Province, show the development of astronomy in the period of Tangun’s Korea (early 30th century BC-mid-15th century BC). More than 200 drawings of constellations dating back to 4 000 to 5 000 years have so far been unearthed in the Taedong River basin centred on Pyongyang alone.

They show that in ancient times the Koreans acquired astronomical knowledge considerable enough to draw the diagrams of stars and constellations.

The drawings of constellations, in which round holes were cut into the surface of stones to show stars and constellations, differ in size.

Those engraved on the lid stones of dolmens in Korea, which are believed to date back to the early 30th century BC, vividly depicted constellations like the present-day astronomical charts.

This proves that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is one of the cradles of ancient astronomy.