KOREAN NET

The Korea Heritage Service on March 24 unveiled 15 lacquered ritual vessels found during the 10th excavation of an archaeological site in the Bonghwang-dong neighborhood of Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do Province.

By Charles Audouin

Photos = Korea Heritage Service

Burial items from a high-ranking tomb of the Byeonhan Confederacy of the first century have been excavated at an archaeological site in Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, presumed to have been the center of Geumgwan Gaya, the ruling city-state of the Gaya confederacy during the Three Kingdoms Period.

The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) on March 24 unveiled 15 lacquered ceremonial vessels found during the 10th excavation of the Bonghwang-dong archaeological site in Gimhae. Work at the site began in 2015 to learn more about Geumgwan Gaya's royal family.

The vessels are long necked and lacquered mounted. Traces of lathe affixation are found on the base, indicating that the "rotary carving" technique of turning the vessel while shaping it was used as early as the Byeonhan era, measuring the woodworking skill level practiced since that time.

The KHS said, "The findings from this excavation prove that the Bonghwang-dong site in Gimhae had already developed into a large-scale settlement from the first century and gradually evolved from the dwelling of a Byeonhan chieftain into the center of Geumgwan Gaya, namely the royal palace site."

In addition, items used in daily were found including sheath-shaped lacquerware, cylindrical containers and lids, jars and bird-shaped wooden objects, spatulas, bowls, cups, loom accessories and agricultural tools.

Korea Heritage Service Administrator Choi Eung-chon (right) on March 24 examines the excavation tools and clothing used by archaeologists at a newly opened facility using the former Mogok Tunnel in Haman-gun County, Gyeongsangnam-do Province.

In Haman-gun County, Gyeongsangnam-do, the KHS on the same day opened a yedamgo, or a venue where the present embraces the past, for the Yeongnam region, which comprises the two Gyeongsang provinces and the cities of Busan, Daegu and Ulsan, using the former Mogok Tunnel.

This space is dedicated to the storage, use and exhibition of excavated items not yet designated as public cultural heritage and allows visitors to experience and learn about these artifacts.

The country has four yedamgo -- one in Yeongnam and the others in the Chungcheong-do region, Honam (Gwangju, Jeollanam-do Province, Jeju Island and Jeonbuk State or Jeollabuk-do Province) and maritime area. One in Greater Seoul and another in Gangwon-do Province are expected to be opened from 2027-28.

caudouin@korea.kr