중원경(中原京)의 치소(治所) 범위와 구조

The Administrative center and Spatial Structure of Jungwongyeong

오늘날 중원역사문화권의 용어는 신라시대 ‘中原京’에서 시작되었다. 충주를 중심으로 그 일대를 아우르는 중원경은 신라의 한강유적 진출을 위한 전략적 요충지이자 제2의 행정수도로 역할을 하였다. 조사자료가 축적되면서 중원경의 실체가 조금씩 드러나게 된 점은 다행이다. 그러나 아직 중원경의 행정 치소가 정확히 어디에 있었으며, 도시의 구조는 어떠했는지에 대한 연구는 조금 더 시간이 필요할 것으로 보인다. 그동안 고고학적 접근으로 중원경의 치소를 규명하기 위한 연구가 중심이었다. 최근 문헌으로 중원경의 범위를 설정한 연구는 상당히 의미 있다. 문헌으로 접근한 중원경의 범위와 그동안 고고학적인 연구성과를 종합했을 때 중원경의 범위는 오늘날 충주시와 경계를 거의 같게 하는 것으로 나타나고 있다. 중원경의 행정치소는 중앙탑면 탑평리 일대를 중심으로 형성되었다가 나당전쟁을 계기로 행정치소의 중심지가 오늘날 충주시내로 이동한 것으로 보인다. 이는 최근 충주사고지나 안림 택지개발지구 등의 새로운 고고학적 조사에서도 확인되고 있다.

The contemporary concept of the Jungwon Historical and Cultural Area derives from Jungwongyeong, a major regional center established during the Silla Dynasty. Centered on present-day Chungju, Jungwongyeong functioned as a strategic base for Silla’s expansion into the Han River basin and served as the kingdom’s secondary administrative center. As archaeological and historical evidence continues to accumulate, the historical reality of Jungwongyeong has become increasingly well defined. Nevertheless, further research is required to accurately identify the location of its administrative center and to reconstruct the city’s overall spatial structure. Until recently, attempts to identify the administrative center relied primarily on archaeological evidence. In this context, recent studies employing textual sources to delineate the territorial boundaries of Jungwongyeong are particularly significant. When these textual interpretations are synthesized with archaeological findings, the spatial extent of Jungwongyeong is shown to correspond largely with the present administrative boundaries of Chungju City. Current scholarship suggests that the administrative center was initially located in the Tappyeong-ri area of Jungangtap-myeon. Following the Silla–Tang War, however, the center appears to have been relocated to what is now downtown Chungju. This transition is supported by recent archaeological investigations at sites such as the Chungju Sago(National History Archives) Site and the Allim District excavation site. Evidence from the Ruam-ri and Ha-guam-ri tumulus clusters, the Tappyeong-ri site, and newly identified remains in central Chungju indicates that Silla’s political and military presence in the Jungwon region was firmly established by the mid-sixth century. By the late seventh century, a planned urban structure—centered on the area of the present-day Chungju Eupseong(walled town)—had clearly emerged as the administrative core, reflecting the relocation of the governing center from Tappyeong-ri to downtown Chungju. Finally, the identification of Gukwonseong, constructed in 673 CE during the reign of King Munmu, with the present-day Daerimsanseong is well supported. This interpretation is further supported by the broader international geopolitical context of the period, Silla’s heightened defensive posture following unification, and the material characteristics of Unified Silla–period artifacts excavated from the Daerimsanseong site.