The Characteristics and Changes of the Builders of the Ancient Tombs in Samga, Hapcheon, between the 4th and 6th Centuries, as seen from Funerary Artifacts

Abstract

The ancient tombs in Samga, Hapcheon, are proof of an ancient unglazed stoneware culture that follows the production and distribution systems of the inland Haman style. The stoneware excavated from Samga’s ancient tombs share similar compositions and change patterns with Haman-style stoneware. Tombs built after the early 4th century’s type I-1 separate-pit wooden chamber tombs were strikingly different from the previous tombs of Samhan Period in terms of size and the artifacts buried therein. The type I-1 wooden chamber tombs belonged to the local rulers of the Samga area in Hapcheon. This discovery suggests the emergence of a small state in the area, away from the center of Byeonhan and Jinhan, and a glimpse of the social and economic background of the builders of the Samga’s ancient tombs of that period. The early 5th century saw a temporary emergence of similar stoneware types across the Yeongnam region. The ancient tombs in Samga also held a type of stoneware culture centered on mounted cups that characterized the transitional period until the establishment of the post-Gaya stoneware style. Before the establishment of the post-Gaya stoneware style in the early 5th century, the ancient tombs in Samga already featured large wooden chamber tombs with crushed stones covering their entire lengths. The overwhelming size of the chamber and the quality of the funerary artifacts indicate that the tombs belonged to the highest rulers of western Gyeongsangnam-do as well as Samga area. The emergence of the builders of the ancient tombs in Samga in the late 5th century represents the establishment of the stratified central-tomb-peripheral-tomb system and the emergence of multi-chamber tombs in the Sogaya region. Specifically, the same assemblage and stylistic changes centered on stoneware styles appeared, with the establishment of a weaponry system focused on iron helmets and war swords. The artifacts from gigantic multichamber tombs built on hills in this period confirm the introduction and spread of foreign culture. These artifacts also show the pattern of exchange among Gaya factions in the area and their expansion. The cultures of Aragaya and, in particular, Daegaya began in the early 6th century, as can be seen from the tombs of local rulers. However, the style of the tombs implies that the multi-chamber tombs built with methods unique to the area continued until the first half of the 6th century. The funerary artifacts found in the M-2, 3, and 4 tombs in Zone I—which include iron-plate ritual utensils with bird decorations, round-pommel swords with three-leaf patterns, and horse harnesses—show that the ancient tombs in Samga are the central tombs of Sogaya, which is further supported by the internal and external capabilities of the area.