calendar>>November 7. 2019 Juche 108
Stone Buddha Dating Back to Koryo Dynasty Discovered in DPRK
Pyongyang, November 7 (KCNA) -- Recently, a group made up of researchers from the History Faculty of Kim Il Sung University and the Archaeological Institute under the Academy of Social Sciences unearthed a stone Buddha dating back to Koryo Dynasty (918-1392) in Songhyon-ri of Onchon County, Nampho City of the DPRK.

The stone Buddha consists of body and platform. Its body is 235 cm in height and 84-91 cm in width and the thickness of the chest and foot is 22 cm and 26 cm each.

The stone Buddha, made of white granite, stands on the platform with a lotus flower in relief. Engraved in the upper part of the platform are 12 lotus leaves, each of which is 12 cm in length and 1-1.2 cm in width. One leave in the middle part got blurred by the weather action but the others are clear.

It is believed to be a pharmacist Buddha as it holds a gallipot with two hands.

Meanwhile, many remains were also discovered during the study. Among them are tiles with a fir leaf and other patterns made in the periods of Koryo Dynasty and the feudal Joson dynasty (1392-1910), various broken porcelains, two iron-arrowheads, two old metallic currency and two flat iron pieces.

Through academic study of them, the stone Buddha is estimated to be built in the early years of the 10th century.

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