수양개 40주년 회고와 전망

My Prospect and Retrospect for 40th Anniversary of Suyanggae Site

단양 수양개유적은 충주댐 수몰지역 조사로 충북대학교 박물관 팀이 처음 찾아(’80.7.22) 1차 발굴에서부터 15차(‘83~‘15)까지 Ⅰ·Ⅱ·Ⅲ지구를, (재)한국선사문화연구원이 Ⅲ·Ⅵ지구를 발굴하였다. 세계학계에 널리 알린 Ⅰ지구는 약 2만년 전 50개의 석기제작소에서 다량의 좀돌날몸돌과 슴베찌르개를 찾아 일본 구석기학계에 큰 영향을 주었고, 특히 일본 명치대학에서의 특별전은 수양개의 위상을 아시아와 세계학계에 널리 자랑하였다. Ⅱ지구는 약 2천년 전의 집터 26개를 발굴하였으나, 500채 이상의 큰 취락터이었으며 “남한강의 서울”이라고 불리 울 정도다. 박물관 건립 전에 조사로 실시된 Ⅲ지구는 3.5만년~4.0만년 사이의 3개 문화층이 확인되었는데, 이들은 1지구 보다는 약 2만년 전에, Ⅵ지구의 3문화층과는 비슷한 시기로 비교된다. 수중보 건설로 발굴된 Ⅵ지구는 모두 후기 구석기시대의 4개의 문화층에서 4만점 이상의 석기를 찾았다. 그 가운데 4문화층은 4.2만년 전에 큰 돌날과 이로 만든 슴베찌르개(73점)가 집중적으로 출토, 초기 후기 구석기연구(IUP)에 중요한 자료로 평가된다. 바로 위에 있는 3문화층은 4.0만년 전으로 좀돌날몸돌을 제작하여 좀돌날문화연구에 확실한 기준을 제시하였으며, 이 층에서 눈금돌과 얼굴돌의 출토는 현생인류의 인지를 확인할 중요한 문화감각을 바로 알게 하는 중요한 문화층이다. 2문화층은 Ⅵ지구 출토유물의 반 이상이 출토되었는데, 좀돌날몸돌과 많은 유물들이 Ⅰ지구와 아주 같은 성격을 갖고 있음에도, Ⅰ지구의 문화특성인 슴베찌르개가 1점도 나오지 않는다는 사실은 문화양태의 차이를 보여주고 있다고 하겠다. 이러한 Ⅵ지구 문화는 Ⅰ지구와 Ⅲ지구의 비교연구에 중요한 기준을 세우고 있어 앞으로의 연구가 기대되며, 이들의 문화는 바로 구낭굴 사람들과도 연결하는 최근 연구도 주목되는 바이다. 수양개유적이 사적(제398호, ‘97.10.31)으로 지정되고, 이를 기념하는 박물관이 개관(‘06.7.26)하면서 국제회의 “수양개와 그 이웃들(Suyanggae and Her Neighbors)”을 지금까지 25회를 개최하여 전세계적으로 이름을 알리고 있다. 이를 바탕으로 좀 더 앞을 내다보는 많은 협력과 동참이 필요하다고 생각한다.

The Suyanggae Site of Danyang-gun, Republic of Korea, where the area was scheduled to be submerged in the Chungju Dam, was first visited for the purpose of the Submerged Area survey by Chungbuk National University Museum Team on 22 June 1989, was excavated in the Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ Localities from the first to 13th Excavation, from 1983 to 2013 by Chungbuk National University Museum and in the Ⅵ Locality from the 14th to 15th Excavation, from 2014 to 2015 by the Institute of Korean Prehistory. The the ⅠLocality, where could be widely known to the world’s academic community, was excavated a great number of Micro-blade Core and Tanged-point from the 50 number of the stone tool-making centers of 200,000 years ago ie. 20ka, of which the excavation report had a significant impact on the Japanese Paleolithic academic community, especially through the Special Exhibition on Suyanggae Site of Korea and Paleolithic Period of Japan projected by the Meiji University of Japan from April to May of 2004. The Ⅱ Locality, where was a large settlement with more than 500 houses known to “Seoul in the Namhangang River”, was excavated 26 number of House-hold sites of 200,000 years ago ie. 20ka. The Ⅲ Locality, where was excavated before the construction of the Suyanggae Prehistory Museum, was identified three cultural layers between 3.5 million and 4.0 million years, which were formed 20,000 years earlier than the Ⅰ Locality, and was compared with similar period to the Cultural Layer 3 in the VI Locality. The VI Locality, where excavated due to the construction of a submerged dam of the Chungju Dam Area, was found more than 40,000 stone artifacts in the four cultural strata of the late Paleolithic period. Among them, the large blade of 4.2 million years ago and the 73 points made of the large blade in the Cultural Layer 4 were estimated important materials for the Initial Upper Paleolithic ie. IUP research. Just above of the Cultural Layer 4, ie. Cultural Layer 3 produced the Micro-blade Core from 4.0 million years ago and presented certain criteria for the Micro-blade Culture research, in which the excavation of the Stone with engraved lines and Stone with Human Face engraved is that the important cultural layer make us immediately realize the important cultural sensibilities that will confirm the recognition of Modern Human. In the Cultural Layer 2, more than half of the relics excavated from the VI Locality have been excavated, and the fact that even though the remains are very similar to those of the I Locality, the fact that was not found a single piece of the cultural characteristic of the I Locality shows us the difference in cultural patterns between the VI Locality and the I Locality. This the VI Locality culture sets an important standard for comparative research between the I Locality and III Locality, and it is expected to be studied in the future, and the recent research that links these cultures with the Gunang Cave Man is also drawing attention. The Suyanggae Site was designated as Historic Site (No. 398, dt. 1997.10.31), and the Suyanggae Prehistory Museum commemorating it was opened to the public on 26, June 2006, and also the “Suyanggae and Her Neighbors” of the international conference have been held 25 times so far to promote their names worldwide. Based on these achievements, I suggest that the Suyanggae Site and the Suyanggae Prehitory Museum need for more forward-looking new-governance, cooperation and participation.