So far, we reviewed how metalworking started in the world. Next, we will look at the development of metalworking in Korea. In the Korean Peninsula, various metals such as bronze and iron had been utilized from the early times. The Bronze Age in Korea started in the 10th century BC. Many bronze artifacts were excavated in Daegok-ri, Hwasun and are now housed in the Gwangju National Museum. Shown on the slide are the bronze artifacts from Daegok-ri, Hwasun. Bronze artifacts from the Bronze Age were weapons, mostly for rituals. Bronze daggers in the Bipa shape constitute a major type of bronze artifact in Korea. The daggers were not really used as weapons but for rituals or as a symbol of power. Numerous Bipa-shaped daggers were found in the regions of Gojoseon. Here, you can see the Bipa-shaped daggers on the slide. These bronze artifacts were excavated in vast areas that extend from around the Liao River to Pyeongyang, and from this we can project the territories of Gojoseon. Another major category of Korean Bronze Age artifacts is that of bronze mirrors with fine linear patterns. This bronze mirror is housed in the museum at Soongsil University and is estimated to date back to the 4th century BC. The pattern on this mirror is roughly 20 centimeters and is made up of about 13,000 fine lines which show amazing craftsmanship of the Bronze Age. From old times, the Koreans were known to be good with iron. According to Chinese mythology, the Koreans were the descendants of Chiwoo, the god of war. It is told that Chiwoo had a cooper head and an iron forehead. The Iron Age in Korea started around the 4th century BC. Iron artifacts have been found extensively in the midstream and the northwest regions of the Amnokgang River. The major artifacts of the Iron Age are ironware relics found in Yongyeon-dong, Wiwon-gun, Pyeonganbuk-do. In this region, various iron weapons such as axes, arrowheads, and spears were found as well as iron farming tools like sickles, semilunar knives, hoes, and plowshares. The picture on my left shows the iron artifacts housed in the National Museum of Korea. These iron artifacts constitute important archaeological evidence that shows how iron spread in Korea. The ruling class of Baekje, one of the three ancient kingdoms of Korea, strengthened on the foundation of iron. At Isonokami Shrine in Nara, Japan, there is a seven-branched sword called Chiljido. The sword is 74.9 centimeters long and is made of wrought iron in the image of tree branches and was probably used for rituals. According to the 61-character inscription on the sword, it was made by the Baekje people at noon on May 16, 369 for the King of Japan to pass down to future generations. Chiljido is a valuable artifact that shows how advanced Baekje metallurgy was. The Gilt-bronze Incense Burner made in the 6th or 7th century is also a major bronze artifact of Baekje. The bronze incense burner of Baekje is shown on the slide. Carved on the surface of the burner, which was probably used for rituals, are natural objects and various animals such as tigers, crocodiles, and elephants, and images that show the lives at the time. Note that crocodiles and elephants did not exist in Korea at that time. This tells us that the Baekje people had interactions with people of many different far away regions. In the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula, a confederacy called Gaya had developed. Gaya was also an iron kingdom. According to ancient history texts of China. Gaya made great profits using iron in trades with places such as Mahan, Ye, and Japan. The original meaning of Geumgwan Gaya is “iron kingdom.” From tombs of early Gaya, bronze and iron artifacts in the Wiman Joseon style were excavated and are now housed in the Gimhae National Museum. The helmet and the armor you see on the slide are the artifacts in the Gimhae National Museum. In Gaya regions, diverse iron weapons were found such as axes, spears, arrowheads, swords, and helmets. Moreover, the people of Gaya also made iron farming equipment and tools that significantly improved agricultural productivity. From many historical sites of Gaya, various agricultural equipment and cast iron tools such as chisels, hammers, hand knife, sickle, flat axes, and iron cast axes were excavated. Farming equipment shown in the picture are the relics in the Gimhae National Museum. In Gaya, there was an iron production site for the full-scale production of ironware. Excavated in Daho-ri, Changwon, Gyeongnam were numerous flat iron axes along with iron hammers which was a blacksmithing tool. By these artifacts, we can tell that this was an iron production site that produced ironware in large quantities. Another iron production site was discovered near the Shell Mound in Seongsan, Changwon. This also was a hub of iron production in Gaya. And then, the advanced metallurgy of Gaya continued in Silla after Gaya was annexed by Silla.
