Characteristic Features of the Rituals Performed in the Settlements of Honam Area during the Bronze Age

Abstract

청동기시대에는 다양한 세계관이 형성되거나 확립되고 이를 儀禮나 祭祀로 표현한다. 청동기시대의례는 내용과 목적에 따라 생활의례, 농경의례, 수변의례, 장송의례, 특수의례 등 다양한 형태로 나타나지만, 이를 증명하기란 쉽지 않다. 이는 실질적으로 물질유물에 근거하여 정신문화를 복원하는데 따른 고증이 용이하지 않기 때문인 것으로 보인다. 본고는 호남지역 청동기시대 취락의례와 관련하여 지금까지 보고된 의례나 제사 관련 유적과 비록의례관련 유적으로 보고되지 않았지만, 유구의 성격과 출토유물 등이 의례와 관련될 것으로 판단되는 유구와 유물을 중심으로 시기별로 살펴보고자 하였다. 결과 호남지역에서도 청동기시대 전기부터 다양한 의례가 이루어지고 있었던 것을 알 수 있었다. 호남지역 청동기시대 취락의례는 전기부터 확인되는데 전기는 완주 구암리 환호취락에서 이루어진 儀禮遺構가 대표적이다. 이 시기에 의례를 위한 공간과 거주를 위한 공간이 분리된 것을 알 수 있으며, 광주 동림동과 강진 호산에서는 농경과 관련된 수변의례도 확인된다. 전기의 의례행위는 개별 가족 구성원이 참여하는 일상의례보다는 집단 구성원 모두가 참여하는 공동의례가 많다. 중기가 되면 벼농사가 본격화되면서 의례가 거의 일상화되었다고 볼 수 있는데 이 시기에 본격적으로 의례유구가 만들어지고 구성원 모두가 참여하는 공동의례는 물론 개별 가족구성원만 참여하는 의례도 확인된다. 특히 가족 구성원이 참여하는 의례는 주로 주거지 내에서 이루어지는데 주거지의 축조 시에 이루어지는 의례와 주거지를 폐기하는 과정에 행해지는 폐기의례가 다양하게 확인되고 있다. 후기는 아직까지 취락에 대한 조사가 많지 않아 취락의례 또한 명확하지 않지만, 중기와는 달리 의례를 위한 구와 수혈이 축조되고 공헌과 관련된 소형토기와 모조품 등 전용 의례용품이 제작된다. 또한 다양한 청동의기가 제작되어 한층 발전된 의례행위가 이루어진 것을 알 수 있다.During the Bronze Age, a good variety of world views had been formed or established and expressed in the form of ceremonies or ancestral rituals. The rituals practiced during this period might be divided into such diverse types as those for living, farming, riverside celebrating, mourning or for other special purposes. Such facts, however, could not be verified easily, because it is hard to present historical evidences for them and to represent moral culture simply by excavating material or physical relics. The present paper is thus aimed at making research of the rituals performed periodically in the settlements of Honam area during the Bronze Age with a focus on the relics and historic implements that are thought to have been related to ceremonies judging from their characters and excavation results, although they have not been confirmed to have any relationship with those that have been reported. From the research, it was made known that various types of ceremonies had been performed in Honam area as well starting even from the former part of the Bronze Age. Typical of such rituals as confirmed to have been conducted in the settlements of Honam area during the Bronze Age were historic implements of rituals found in the settlement of Hwanho in Guam-ri, Wanju which belonged to the former part of the Bronze Age. It was revealed from the research that there was separation between the space for rituals and that for living during that period. In the settlements of Dongrim-dong, Gwangju and Hosan, Gangjin, riverside ceremonies could also be confirmed that were connected with agriculture. It could be said that more common were the joint ceremonies in which all members of the communities participated than the daily rituals in which family members took part individually. Rituals seemed to be practiced rather as part of daily routines during the mid-period when agriculture became activated and implements for rituals began to be produced in full scale and not only joint ceremonies in which all community members participated but also those in which family members only took part. The ceremonies for family members were performed mostly within the premises of living quarters. Various forms of rituals practiced then included those performed when residences were newly built or demolished. Due to insufficient research of the settlements during the later age, much is not clear as far as the rituals performed in the settlements are concerned. Different from the mid-age, however, pits and ditches were constructed for the purpose of rituals during the later age and small-scale earthenware and imitates were also manufactured for exclusive use of ceremonies. Various bronze-made implements were also produced, witnessing that more developed form of ceremonies was then performed.