강원도 영동지방 최남단의 삼척지역은 남쪽으로는 경북 울진군, 봉화군과 접하고 있어 경북 북부와 강원도를 연결하는 중간 연결지점의 문화전파 경로로서 일찍부터 주목받아 왔으며, 석조미술 역시 이와 관련하여 형성·발전되는 양상을 보여주고 있다. 이 가운데 신라석탑은 동해 삼화사 삼층석탑, 태백 본적사지 삼층석탑, 삼척 흥전리사지 삼층석탑, 삼척 대평리사지 석탑 등 4기가 확인되는데, 비교적 적은 수량만 남아 있지만 9세기 신라석탑의 결구구조와 양식 흐름에서 크게 벗어나지 않는 모습을 보이고 있다. 삼화사 삼층석탑의 별석 탑신받침, 흥전리사지 석탑의 삼중기단, 표면 장엄공 등은 신라석탑의 일반적인 양식 흐름 속에서도 매우 주목되는 특징으로 삼척지역이 9세기 신라석탑이 다양하게 전개되는 과정을 보여주는 매우 중요한 지역이었음을 알 수 있다. 특히, 흥전리사지가 위치한 도계 읍은 경북 북부와 강원지역을 연결해주는 곳으로 당시 중요 교통로의 거점이었을 가능성이 높으며, 다양한 석조미술이 남아 있는 것으로 보아 당시 이 지역 불교문 화 발달에 중심적인 위치를 차지하고 있었던 것으로 보인다. 즉, 석탑을 통해 본 삼척지역의 불교문화는 경북 북부와 강원지역을 연결해주는 중간적 위치이지만, 불교문화의 발전 양상은 강원 남부지역에서 중심적인 역할을 하였던 것으로 보인다.

This study aims to examine the development process of the early stone pagodas of Unified Silla. The history of stone pagodas traces back to both Baekje and Silla in the Three Kingdoms period, but the styles and structures of pagodas began differently. In other words, Baekje attempted to recreate the wooden pagoda style, while Silla attempted to recreate China' brick pagoda style. These different stone pagoda cultures, around the unification of Three Kingdoms, underwent new style changes, and after the mid-7th century, some changes in the five-storied stone pagodas in Tapri appeared, and the milestone perfection of Silla's stone pagodas was achieved through those of Gameusa Temple and Goseonsa Temple. After the mid-7th century, Silla's stone pagodas accommodated some of Baekje's wooden pagodas' elements, shifted from the wooden pagoda style and developed into its own stone pagoda style. This is shown in numerous stone pagodas. However, in Silla's stone pagodas, including the three-storied stone pagoda in Hwagboksa Temple in 692, the size of the pagoda became small and underwent sudden changes. In other words, a new direction of Silla stone pagodas was presented in terms of how massive stones could be reduced, but they differed only in the reduced stone amount; the basic developed style of the Gameunsa Temple stone pagoda and the Goseonsa Temple stone pagoda inherited the traditional style. Thus, the construction of these two pagodas is considered to be significant in the Silla's history of stone pagodas.

The wooden pagoda was first appeared in about late 4th century in Korea. And between the late 6th century and the eary 7th centry, the multistoried wooden pagoda was replaced with the stone pagodas, in order to improve their stability and durability. In Three-kingdom and Unificated-Silla period, there are two types of stone stupas in Korea. The one is Paekche(百濟)style, and the other is Silla(新羅) style stone pagoda. These two styles are basically different in each part like podium, roof stone, body stone, structure and the others. Two types of stupas are distributed in two regions which devided into the East(Silla territory) and West(Paekche territory) in the Korean peninsular. The origin of the Korean stone pagoda can be traced to the Paekche dynasty and Silla dynasty. The former were the result of the careful study of their skillful wooden pagodas, where the latter were actualy originated from copying their sundried brick pagodas with stone. Two important pagodas of the primitive stage are the stone pagoda of Miruksa(彌勒寺) temple in Iksan and Bunhwangsa(芬皇寺) temple in Kyungju. These two pagodas are compared with each other in the style of their construction. Silla style have sharp straight lines and short distance between roof stone and eaves. They give us strong as well as intelletural feeling. Howerever, Paekche style has curved lines and dull angles of cutting area of stone, they give us soft feeling.