A Comparison of Pottery Production in the Three Kingdoms Period in the Southern Korean Peninsula

Abstract

It was understood that pottery production developed into a hierarchical organization with the expansion of mass production and distribution. In this study, we will try to compare and review the changes in the pottery production organization in Honam and Yeongnam regions, which have been integrated into different political groups. During the Three Kingdoms Period, a database of kilns was established to establish four types of kilns. The type and consumption of production pottery were inferred for each type to confirm production and distribution. Type A and B pottery kilns produced utilitarian pottery with villages as their main consumption sites, but there are differences in size and location. Type C mainly produces burial pottery and can define the main consumption site as an ancient tomb. Type D is a production area where large-scale kiln, it was located outside the center of each political body at the time to meet the demand for pottery. In the early days of the Three Kingdoms period, type A and B coexist, and type C and D emerge as political groups in each region grow. In particular, there is a clear difference between C type in Yeongnam and B type in Honam. In the Yeongnam, a tradition of burial rituals called the mass burial of pottery was formed, affecting production. In the Honam, it could be seen that a large change in the pottery production organization was closely related to the appearance of the central village. Depending on the region, the nature of the main consumer site and the type of demand show a distinct difference. It is confirmed that different types coexist and the difference in proportion varies depending on the time, not the single-line development of mass production in a small scale.