PHOTOS: Centuries-old stele earns National Treasure status

영천 청제비 — The photo on the left is the Cheongmot Reservoir Monument, inscribed in 536. The right photo shows the back of the monument, which records the repair of the reservoir in 798. Courtesy of the National Heritage Administration

SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - A remarkable stele from the ancient Silla Dynasty, which chronicles the construction of an embankment and a pond designed to mitigate natural disasters, was designated a National Treasure on June 20.

The ancient stone in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, stands beside a reservoir known as Cheongmot, a body of water that has been in continuous use since its creation during the Silla period, more than a millennium ago.

Carved on both sides of a single, irregularly shaped stone, the stele details the initial establishment of the reservoir in 536. An adjacent stele, erected in 1688, records the re-erection of the original Silla artifact after it had been buried for centuries.

These steles offer a rare glimpse into the civil engineering prowess and state governance of the Silla era, particularly in how the kingdom managed to overcome the challenges posed by natural calamities through sophisticated water management projects.

Cho Bo-hee jobo@ajupress.com