국립김해박물관

About 2,000 years ago, groups of people battled the rough seas and went out to cross the deep waters.

People with their roots in the delta of the Nakdonggang River, also known as Old Gimhae Bay, traveled out by boat in all directions. This exhibition relates the story of these people who founded the nation we call Gaya.

Iron smelted in the Nakdonggang River basin was a popular trade item around East Asia at the time. Gaya ships loaded with standardized iron ingots headed out as far as the Japanese Archipelago. They brought their cultural practices and technologies from Gaya to Northern Kyushu in Japan.

People from Gaya riding horses, wearing new styles of clothing, and adorned with flamboyant gold ornaments visited Japan. The ironware, armor, and swords that they carried were new items never before seen in the islands. Gaya possessed techniques for firing hard earthenware and cooked food in a new type of kitchen using novel cooking utensils. Moreover, the horses and oxen they brought with them were unique animals that had never set foot in Japan before. Horses from Gaya must have seemed as fast as the wind. The stories they brought from across the ocean of fighting battles from horseback must have seemed unbelievable. Furthermore, the oxen from Gaya were so much stronger than people that it must have been clear how useful they would prove for farming and carrying heavy loads.

Japanese society was transformed with the arrival of these immigrants from Gaya. As part of the process, the arrivals from Gaya naturally came to live in harmony with the local people. This exhibition is designed to shed light on the lives of these people from Gaya who have been overlooked by history after crossing the seas 2,000 years ago. It reveals the traces they left as they created a Korean Wave of Gaya culture in ancient times.

We look forward to sharing an exciting experience of Gaya culture with you all.