A Study on Transition Process of the jar coffins in While the jar coffins in the Bronze Age mainly stand upright, change occurred in the burial methods in the early Iron Age. Coffins were laid horizontally as 2 pots were completely laid down to put to...
A Study on Transition Process of the jar coffins in While the jar coffins in the Bronze Age mainly stand upright, change occurred in the burial methods in the early Iron Age. Coffins were laid horizontally as 2 pots were completely laid down to put together. Along with such change, from the period of early Iron Age to the Proto-Three Kingdoms Period, they were excavated mainly in Youngnam(嶺南) area rather than Keumgang(錦江) Area, the main area of the jar coffins. In particular, about 60 the jar coffins were excavated at the relics of Neukdo(勒島), Samcheonpo(三千浦) and about 100 the jar coffins were excavated at Paldaldong(八達洞), Daegu(大邱). These relics are all related to the inflow of ironware in the early Iron Age and coincide with the distribution area of triangulated clay-stripe pottery. After that, The jar coffins had been continuously used in main memorial service in Youngnam area from Proto-Three Kingdoms Period to Three Kingdoms Period.
However, since earthenware used in the jar coffins were not be chronologically recorded due to the existing chronological recording focusing on small daily potteries such as the vessels, the bowls and the wide mouth bowls, different from the potteries used in tombs, there have been no analysis on transition of the jar coffins through changes over the time.
In this regard, this thesis aims to approach the cultural changes related to the jar coffins by demonstrating the appearance of horizontal type the jar coffins and their transition period through chronological recording of horizontal the jar coffins in Youngnam area from the Early Iron Age to Proto-Three Kingdoms Period.
For analysis of the jar coffins, types of The jar coffins were classified and arranged, including the vessels, the bowls and the wide mouth bowls, applied to the existing tomb chronicle focusing Nakdong river in Youngnam Area, and the validity of such arrangement was examined.
This study examined the features of the jar coffins with regard to such change of the jar coffins, and examined the changes of the jar coffins 1 to 6 stages with regard to changes in arrangement pattern in ancient tumulus.
1st stage is from the first half of 1st century B.C to the middle of 2nd century, when group toms were buried around the dwelling focusing on Southwest coast and inland Nakdong river area in Youngnam area. The jar coffins used here were those diverted from the daily the jar coffins and no difference in class was found in buried relics and ruins.
2nd stage is from the middle of 2nd century B.C to the second half of 2nd century B.C when the jar coffins were expanded to the inland of Youngnam and separated from the residence. The jar coffins were gathered in tomb sites and no class difference was found in buried relics.
3rd stage is from the second half of 2nd century B.C to the middle of 1st century B.C when the group tomb sites of wooden coffins were formed around the East coast and around the Nakdong river of inland Youngnam area. While daily the jar coffins were used for this, they were dedicated for daily use originally. As the votive offering of bronze items were found in some relics of the jar coffins, class difference began to show.
4th stage is from the middle of 1st century B.C to the middle of 1st century A.D when the jar coffins production technique was developed around middle and upper region of the Nakdong river and East coast. The big shaped vessels was produced and considerable class difference appeared in the buried relics of the jar coffins. Regional difference was severe too.
5th stage is from the middle of 1st century A.D to the middle of 2nd century A.D when new groups of wooden coffins were formed around the middle and lower regions of the Nakdong river and East coast. As the diversification of types from big grave to middle grave increased, the percentage of the jar coffins increased in every region and regional difference also decreased.
6th stage is from the middle of 2nd century A.D to the middle of 3rd century when the wood-lined chamber tombs began to appear in the whole area of Youngnam. The jar coffins began to change to the arounded tomb for powerful persons, along with formation of graveyards for wood-lined chambers. Diversification of types of the jar coffins were expanded to steamer type and jar type and combined with hemisphere and the size of the jar coffins grave was limited to 60cm. Besides, with regard to The jar coffins around lower region of the Nakdong river and South coast, the percentage of adopting the the jar coffins for children grave increased along with development of the big shaped vessels and the regional change of the jar coffins was also detected.
As above, the change of the jar coffins in Youngnam area was examined and further investigated with regard to the change of ancient tumulus of Jin, Byeonhan (辰·弁韓)society, in terms of 1st stage and 2nd stage as appearance stage, 3rd stage to 5th stage as development stage, and 6th stage as regional change stage. Background for such stages were also examined.
The jar coffins used in the appearance period of horizontal the jar coffins in Youngnam Area, Big jars with stick shaped handles and rim flared jars, are different from existing Songkukri type pottery, they are derivation of Songkukri (松菊里)type and circular clay-stripe pottery, and showed the regional pottery type from the southwest coast to each area as the 2nd spread as shown in the distribution of circular clay-stripe pottery. However, small jars with stick shaped handles and rim flared jars, wide mouth bowls and steamer were the pottery for boiling, and the fact that the pottery for boiling was not used for the jar coffins had not appeared in the stage of Songkukri and circular clay-stripe pottery. With appearance of pottery for boiling, burial of the jar coffins might be caused by changes in viewpoint on afterlife and burial service.
That is, the appearance of pottery for boiling, the daily pottery, different from the cultural progressive assimilation of previous stage of circular clay-stripe pottery, seemed to be attributable to the appearance of burial concept of the children among Gojoseon(古朝鮮) migrants who were affected by the Ironware of Wiman Joseon(衛滿朝鮮) related to movement of migrants to the south around the fall of Gojoseon by Wiman Joseon, in the Youngnam Area around the area where Iron Age culture was flew in. The upper class of these migrants showed the group of red wood-lined chamber tombs, while the lower class formed group graves around their dwelling separate from the upper class. No order of rank was found in the buried relics or ruins.
After the appearance of such the jar coffins, upper class groups might accept the Iron Age culture through the migrants in the development period, differentiating from the existing residents and such ideology might be passed on to the children graves where the position of their parents were more reflected. Progressive assimilation of many migrant groups with existing groups might cause new transition of recognition on the concept of children grave and this Iron Age culture, which further caused change in concept of class in children.
Different from the dynamic inflow of culture in the early Iron Age throughout the southern area, regional difference occurred in Youngnam area depending on how such groups adopt themselves with the existing inland groups in the development period. The jar coffins, the children grave in the tumulus took considerable percentage in such regional difference. Regional difference occurred between inland Nakdong river area and western part of Nakdong area as the delay of the construction of wooden tomb or the jar coffins after the development period. Difference in quantities of the jar coffins in the region can be regarded as the difference in how delicately the social differentiation has occurred.
After that, along with the creation of wood-lined chamber tombs, material culture had rapidly developed in Youngnam area and productivity expanded in the stage of wood-lined chamber tombs, so that various kinds of pottery cultures were expanded in every region along with duplication of wood-lined chamber tomb. Accordingly, in the change period of the jar coffins in Youngnam area, the child grave with existing class feature were buried with same wood-lined chamber tomb like adult tomb rather than buried with daily life pottery and among them, infant grave and child grave seemed to be separated. That is, child grave began to have same position as that of adult grave and even some child grave had superior position than adult grave depending on his class. The jar coffins for child was standardized to certain size in inland Nakdong river area, shoring the arounded tomb belonged to one family characters of main memorial service for the adults, while more and more The jar coffins dedicated for use were diverted for child coffins around the southern coast.