국립김해박물관

Grayish-blue stoneware was widely used throughout Gaya. Being shaped on a potter’s wheel and fired at temperatures of more than 1000°C, Gaya stoneware was quite strong and non-porous. The earliest examples of such pottery are jars with two lugs (i.e., handles).

Gaya pottery comes in a multitude of forms, including jars, cups, mounted dishes, vessel stands, and vessels shaped like various objects. Gaya pottery is known to have influenced the emergence and development of Japanese sueki pottery of the Kofun Period.

Utilizing the abundance of iron ore in its territory, Gaya developed a thriving culture based on iron production and exchange. In fact, iron was so important to Gaya society that standardized iron ingots were used as currency.

In addition to facilitating exchange, iron objects played a crucial role in the numerous military conflicts that occurred as various states vied to expand their territory. Strong iron armor and helmets first appeared in this time period, along with a wide range of iron weapons, such as axes, scythes, spearheads, and arrowheads. These iron weapons were carefully refined for specialized purposes, greatly improving their effectiveness.

Long iron swords with a ring attached to the pommel (裝飾大刀) were used as actual weapons, but also served as symbols of power and authority. In some cases, the rings were adorned with inlaid gold or silver patterns or openwork designs of a dragon or phoenix. These swords were used not only in Gaya, but also in the three kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla.

Excavations of the large mounded tombs of Okjeon (Hapcheon) and Malisan Burial Ground (Haman) uncovered some unique knives with bird-shaped barbs along the edge. Such knives, along with bird-shaped pottery, suggest that birds were revered by the Gaya people.

Starting in the fifth century, pottery with distinct regional characteristics began to appear in Gimhae, the center of Geumgwan Gaya. For example, in addition to pottery from Geumgwan Gaya, pottery from Dae Gaya, So Gaya, and Silla has also been recovered from the sites of Witdeokjeong, Jukgok-ri, Hwajeong, and Anyang-ri in Gimhae. The discovery of pottery from other states in the center of Geumgwan Gaya indicates a severe decline in power.

Significantly, the sites in Witdeokjeong and Hwajeong also included Silla-style stone-chamber tombs and ritual sites. These are the tombs of the rulers of the Gimhae region that were constructed from the sixth to the early seventh century, after Geumgwan Gaya was annexed by Silla.

In 400 CE, Goguryeo staged its southern campaign, dealing a severe blow to the Gaya polities, including Geumgwan Gaya, around the lower reaches of the Nakdong River. Thus, around the start of the fifth century, the huge mounded tombs in Gimhae (such as those at the Daeseong-dong Burial Ground) ceased to be constructed. In addition, the characteristic Gaya- style pottery and ornaments that had once been widely used throughout Gaya territory were replaced by Silla-style pottery and ornaments. Then in the sixth century, the Changnyeong region became the first of Gaya’s territories to be fully incorporated in accordance with Silla’s expansion policy. This was followed by the fall of Geumgwan Gaya in 532 CE and Dae Gaya in 562 CE, which marked the end of Gaya’s history.

This long-necked jar exhibits a beautiful curve along the neck and body. There are lines engraved horizontally across the neck, and between them there are round patterns, four-line patterns, and hole patterns. The bowl-shaped support for the long-necked jar has also been engraved with triangular line patterns.

In ancient times, extravagant accessories were worn to enhance a person’s appearance, while also conveying their elite social status. Before the establishment of Gaya, the people of Byeonhan made personal ornaments from precious stones such as crystal, amber, and agate, as well as beads made from glass or precious metals. According to a passage in the “Biography of the Eastern Barbarians” section of the “Book of Wei” in Sanguozhi (三國志 魏書 東夷傳, Records of the Three Kingdoms), the “people of Jinhan and Byeonhan do not highly value gold and silver, but instead prefer strings of treasure beads.” Substantiating this record, many ornaments made from jade and glass beads have been found at sites dating from the first to the third century CE. From the fourth century onwards, gilt-bronze crowns, belt buckles, and horse equipment were buried in the great tombs of Daeseong-dong, Gimhae, with gold and silver earrings and bracelets appearing from the mid-fifth century.

In ancient times, extravagant accessories were worn to enhance a person’s appearance, while also conveying their elite social status. Before the establishment of Gaya, the people of Byeonhan made personal ornaments from precious stones such as crystal, amber, and agate, as well as beads made from glass or precious metals. According to a passage in the “Biography of the Eastern Barbarians” section of the “Book of Wei” in Sanguozhi (三國志 魏書 東夷傳, Records of the Three Kingdoms), the “people of Jinhan and Byeonhan do not highly value gold and silver, but instead prefer strings of treasure beads.” Substantiating this record, many ornaments made from jade and glass beads have been found at sites dating from the first to the third century CE. From the fourth century onwards, gilt-bronze crowns, belt buckles, and horse equipment were buried in the great tombs of Daeseong-dong, Gimhae, with gold and silver earrings and bracelets appearing from the mid-fifth century.