The Chronology of Tombs in Daeseong-dong in the Age of The early Dojil Pottery

Abstract

The Daeseong-dong Tumuli are located in the burial place of kings of Geumgwan Gaya. The study of grave goods reveals that Dojil pottery buried in large wooden chamber tombs reflect her heyday, hence the chronological dating of ancient tombs of the kingdom heavily relies upon the analysis of the period of Dojil pottery. The relative dating of the tombs in this area is used to arrange a variety of burial pottery, braziershaped stands with handles and mounted dishes, in chronological order. Brazier-shaped stands with handles are subdivided into two types: stands with an outward rolled rims and with upright mouths, and mounted dishes into three types: dishes with an outward bent rims, with an upright mouths, and with lids. This categorization of pottery found in large wooden chamber tombs suggests the several different periods of burial practices in wooden chamber tombs - six periods in this paper. With the comparison between pottery found in this area and those in Bokcheondong burial mounds, the analysis of differences between two super-categories of pottery provides a detailed chronology of burial pottery in the tombs. For example, based upon a comparative analysis with prestige goods imported from the central and northern regions of China, the absolute dating of burial materials gives a result that the third period of the tombs refers to the second quarter of the fourth century, and next three periods cover every 25 years from the third quarter of the fourth century to the first quarter of the fifth century. On the other hand, the chronological comparison between double layered mounted dishes with holes on its stand found in Tomb No. 39 and other pottery buried earlier reveals that the Tomb was built during the seventh period, the second quarter of the fifth century. Dojil pottery and brazier-shaped stands with handles were discovered for the first time in the first period of wooden chamber tombs. It was no later than the third period to see all kinds of pottery which were produced in unglazed style throughout tombs. The fourth period shows a variety of pottery including not only double layered mounted dishes with holes on its stand and lids, bowl stands, cylinder-shaped pottery stands, and lidded mounted jars, but also brazier-shaped pottery stands in which triangle and stripe patterns and circular compass patterns are inscribed discovered from large tombs. During the sixth period the typical pottery style of Gaya, like lidded long-necked jars and bowl stands on which larva patterns ingrained, was invented. From the seventh period, pottery continued to develop and created the new style of mounted dishes. The pottery style made during the sixth and seventh periods would have influenced burial vessels in Tomb No. 7 in Dongri, Changnyeong.