A Study on the Use of Organic Substances in the Production of Armor during the Three Kingdoms Period

Abstract

There are quite a few extant historical records, including The History of the Three Kingdoms (Samguk Sagi, 1145), which show that the three ancient Korean kingdoms waged a long succession of wars with each other. None of these materials, however, provides detailed information about the weapons and protective armor their armies used during combat. Thankfully, recent archaeological surveys and excavations of old tombs and fortifications have revealed that the warriors of these ancient Korean kingdoms wore various types of suits of armor and helmets. Relics unearthed from graves show that the protective coverings worn by ancient Korean warriors largely consisted of scale and plate armor. Of these two types, little is known about the full harness of the scale armor because only those parts protecting the neck and waist have been found so far, probably because such armor was made by combining metal with organic materials. In this study, the main discussion is focused on the use of organic substances in the production of suits of armor during the Three Kingdoms Period (ca. 1st-7th century AD). The study shows that the manufacturers of armor of that period exploited organic materials, such as wood and animal hide, extensively and developed the related techniques for the production of plate and scale armor by combining metal with various organic substances. Scholars have also found that similar techniques were used by Japanese artisans during the Kofun Period (c. 250-538 AD), suggesting that the combined use of iron and animal hide to make suits of armor was a universal tendency in East Asia during the early part of its history. The discovery of only certain parts of suits of armor in ancient graves has led scholars to conclude that only a part of the armor was buried as a funerary item, although one should not disregard the possibility that a full set of armor may have been buried in a warrior s tomb, of which the organic parts decomposed, leaving behind only the metal components.