A flute estimated to date from the early 7th century has been discovered at the Gwanbuk-ri archaeological site in Buyeo County, South Chungcheong Province, the former capital of the Baekje kingdom. It is the first actual musical instrument ever found from the Three Kingdoms period, including Baekje, and the oldest wind instrument discovered in Korea. Hundreds of wooden tablets called mokgan—wooden strips bearing written records—that offer insights into Baekje's state administration system were also unearthed in large quantities.
The Buyeo National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage under the Korea Heritage Service announced the findings from the Gwanbuk-ri site excavation on Monday, confirming the discovery of "one hoekjeok (橫笛), a wind instrument played by blowing horizontally." The Gwanbuk-ri site is identified as the royal palace grounds of Baekje when Sabi (present-day Buyeo) served as the capital. Excavations began in 1982 at the site, which sits on broad, flat terrain south of Busosan Mountain, revealing traces of large palatial buildings, waterways, and road facilities. Excavation work continues to this day to uncover the true nature of the Sabi Baekje royal palace.
Researchers found the musical artifact in a pit believed to have been a toilet near a conference hall building within the palace grounds. The bamboo artifact has artificially carved holes and resembles today's sogeum (a small transverse flute). However, it was partially broken and flattened. The remaining portion measures approximately 22.4 centimeters, with an estimated 30 percent of the original 31-centimeter body missing.
The estimated date of the artifact ranges from 568 to 642 CE. "Considering the material and structure of the artifact, it is determined to be a transverse flute," said Hwang In-ho, director of the Buyeo National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage. "This is the first case of an actual wind instrument being discovered from the entire Three Kingdoms period." Similar flutes dating to the 8th and 9th centuries have been excavated in Japan. The discovery of a much earlier artifact now clarifies the route through which Korean Peninsula culture was transmitted to Japan.
A performance featuring a reconstructed hoekjeok based on the findings was held on the same day, drawing applause from attendees. The performer noted that "the holes are smaller than those of modern instruments, making it relatively difficult to produce sound." Korea Heritage Service Commissioner Heo Min said, "For the first time, we have discovered an artifact that shows how our ancestors enjoyed music and lived 1,400 years ago. I believe the sounds and resonance of Baekje have developed into the DNA of Koreans over the long years."
The excavation also yielded a total of 329 wooden tablets estimated to date from the mid-6th century—the largest quantity of mokgan ever found at a single site in Korea. The tablets were found concentrated within a waterway approximately 20 meters long. "The nearby building is believed to be a facility where mokgan were produced and managed, and the tablets are recognized as a form of 'official documents,'" a research institute official explained. According to the institute, no paper documents from the Three Kingdoms period have ever been excavated.
The inscriptions "gyeongshin year" (庚申年) and "gyehae year" (癸亥年) on the tablets are estimated to correspond to 540 CE and 543 CE respectively, based on other artifacts found together and the timing of the drainage channel's construction. This places them immediately after Baekje relocated its capital from Ungjin (present-day Gongju) to Sabi (Buyeo) in 538 CE.
One tablet bearing the phrase "Appoint Dojok-i with four merits as minor general" (功四爲小將軍刀足二) is believed to be a personnel-related document. A tablet inscribed with the character "jeon" (畑), previously thought to be a Chinese character created in Japan, was also confirmed—with the Gwanbuk-ri artifact predating Japanese examples by a significant margin.
"This discovery is extremely significant in that it confirms documentary administrative practices that reveal how Baekje operated as a state, as well as physical materials that will contribute to understanding the musical culture of the time and restoring its sounds," the research institute said.