신라 금관(金冠)에 관한 연구

Abstract

In this paper I first observe several golden crowns found in Gyeongju area. It has generally been recognized that the golden crowns originated from Siberia and flowered gorgeously in Gyeongju area of Shinla. I investigate their historical background and characteristics. The results of this study are as follows. As for the origin of Shinla golden crowns, I advocate the hypothesis that they were introduced from Siberia accompanied by the southward immigration of Xiongnu to Gyeongju area. I argue that the culture of Shinla golden crowns was finally formed, based on elementary level of gold work culture and technology once developed early in Gyeongju area, by applying elaborated skills of immigrant Xiongnu brought after the mid 4th century to the prototype of golden crowns previously introduced from Siberia, as a result of which those gorgeous golden crowns were reincarnated in Shinla. The Xiongnu who moved to Europe, regarded as the Huns, left designs and patterns that appeared on Shinla gold crowns on other remains, but they did not seem to have left any golden crowns. I claime that they returned to the east after their empire perished and eventually settled down in Gyeongju area after the mid 5th century with their gold work culture and new technology. I argue that this can account for the great increase of golden remains and the much more exquisite and refined gold work skills at that particular time of the history.