부산 연산동 고분군 출토 갑주(甲冑)의 성격과 의미

Abstract

The Yeonsan-dong Tombs are the only prehistoric tomb complex to have been discovered in Busan to date. The area of present-day Busan, which once formed the border between the kingdoms of Silla and Gaya, is the subject of a controversy about the ancient history of the southern region of the Korean Peninsula. Opinions still vary as to when the area was brought under the influence of Silla and, more specifically, what kind of dominant-subordinate relationship was maintained between the two. That explains why this archaeological site is deemed to be crucially important to understanding the relationship between Silla and Gaya. Unfortunately, few archaeological achievements have been associated with the site since the survey and excavations conducted in the 1990s and, to make matters worse, no formal report on the site has ever been published. The situation changed recently with a new project to excavate the site, which led to a surge of interest in studying the tombs. The heritage investigation team of the Busan Museum investigated the site three times following the launch of the project to restore the ancient tombs of Yeonsan-dong in 2009. That investigation was followed by the publication of the investigation report and three academic conferences at which historians engaged in heated debates. The renewed interest in the Yeonsan-dong Tombs resulted in the publication of a comprehensive report on Yeonsandong Tomb No. 8, which had been investigated earlier on by a team from the Gyeongsang National University Museum. The excavation of the tomb resulted in the discovery of features that revealed the construction techniques of mound tombs, along with an array of artifacts including suits of armor worn by warriors and their war horses. Archaeologists are particularly interested in the Japanese-style armor unearthed at the site, as it has yielded more of this type of armor than most other Silla and Gaya sites excavated so far. This study aims to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the ancient armor unearthed at the Yeonsan-dong Tombs in Busan based on the characteristics and historical significance of the relics. Here, the main discussion is focused on the background and historical significance of the Japanese-style armor discovered at almost all of the tombs at this site, unlike other Silla and Gaya cemeteries. Some Japanese researchers, using the discovery of the Japanese-style armor as the basis of their hypothesis, have asserted that the community that built the Yeonsan-dong Tombs was directly related with the Japanese kingdom of the period. This view is, however, easily refutable because all of the other major archaeological sites in Busan dating back to the period, including the Bokchon-dong Tombs, have yielded artifacts connected with Silla. Indeed, few of these sites were found to contain any artifacts of Japanese origin other than armor. Given that cultural exchange between any two regions often involves the participation of all the neighboring regions, it is not easy to conclude that the community that built the Yeonsan-dong Tombs traded with the ancient Japanese kingdom of Wae directly without any connection with its close neighbors. Considering the distribution of the Japanese-style armor in Sill and Gaya, it is highly probable that the builders of the Yeonsan-dong Tombs played a comparatively important role in trade between Silla and Wae.