Dolmens are graves made of stone which are found in many parts of the world. They belong to the prehistoric era. Dolmens appear in many parts of eastern Asia, including China and Japan, but, due to unknown reasons, in Korea there is a surprisingly huge number of these constructions, especially in the sites located in Hwasun, Gochang, and Ganghwa.
In Korea, dolmens are called ''goindol'', meaning ''the propped stone''. 40% of all of the world’s dolmens exist within South and North Korea. In South Korea, there are more than 30,000 dolmens, and up to 15,000 are found in North Korea.
Unfortunately, due to the political issues, it is nearly impossible to explore the dolmens that are located in North Korea. All of the dolmens that have been examined are dated to around 1,000 BC, and they are proof that the society was already technologically advanced during this period. The number of dolmens may suggest that many people died in the same historical period, or that they were heroes from ancient battles between different tribes.
