가야 연맹체의 연구

Abstract

The assumption that Gaya's political entities were formed as a confederation continues to be the basis for attempts to reconstruct the history and culture of Gaya. However, recent analysis of archaeological findings and research on many Gaya relics has yielded insufficient archaeological and documentary evidence to support the idea that Gaya existed as a confederation. When the concept of a confederation is applied to Gaya, it suggests that although many political entities coexisted in Gaya, there was a leading state responsible for foreign diplomacy and military organization to defend against invasions from neighboring countries. Each political entity within Gaya's borders adhered to the principle of non-interference by the leading state. This study initially reviewed domestic and foreign literature to determine if there were records indicating that Gaya's political entities corresponded to a confederation. However, no records were found that aligned with the concept of a confederation. Furthermore, if there had been a leading state in Gaya, its culture should have been reflected in the relics and artifacts of the region. Currently, there is active debate about whether the theory of the Greater Gaya Confederation adequately explains the artifacts and other evidence discovered in the Gaya region, particularly considering the chronological issues of the late 5th century and the problems related to the concept of Greater Gaya pottery forms. In light of these challenges, this study presents an alternative explanation for how Gaya was able to maintain its political entities for five centuries. It is observed that the political entities in the border regions of Gaya, specifically Changnyeong and Yangsan, share similar cultural elements. Firstly, Changnyeong and Yangsan both used the stone chamber tombs in a pit with side door, indicating cultural connections. Secondly, they exhibited common features in their pottery forms, particularly in the uppermost ritual vessels. Thirdly, the jewelry discovered in the tombs of rulers from these regions showed strong Silla influences. These findings suggest that the border regions' political entities maintained friendly relations with Silla but failed to resolve conflicts diplomatically, leading to military invasions by Silla. As the defensive lines of these border regions collapsed, the remaining political entities rapidly declined and were eventually conquered by Silla.