The bronze artifacts from Daegok-ri, Hwasun () refer to Bronze Age relics from an excavated tomb on the Yeongsan River in Hwasun County, South Jeolla Province, South Korea.Bronze Artifacts from Daegok-ri, Hwasun Korea Heritage Service In 1971, they were discovered during a construction project building a drainage ditch.Must-sees at Korean museums ③ Gwangju Nat'l Museum Korea.net 11 items were designated as the 143rd National Treasure of South Korea in 1972: three slender bronze daggers, two bronze bells with eight heads, two bronze bells with twin heads, a bronze hand knife, a bronze ax, and two bronze mirrors with a detailed design.Bronze Artifacts from Daegok-ri, Hwasun Gwangju National Museum Due to the scale of remnants, the tomb's owner is thought to have exercised significant power and control within the region.
As with artifacts of the later bronze age, the bronze daggers have sharp edges at the end, and one shows a damaged blade. At the center of the daggers are inscribed shapes of a lighthouse.
The bronze bells are octagonal stars with a bell at the end. A pellet inside the bell rings when shaken,Bronze Artifacts from Daegok-ri, Hwasun (Bronze Ritual Bells) suggesting that they were used in religious rituals. While the back of the bells is left undecorated, the bells' surface is carved with fern patterns with a sunbeam motif.The Musical Instruments of Prehistoric Korea Cho Hyunjong, National Museum of Korea, Journal of Korean Art and Archaeology 2009, Vol.3 pp.24-47 Such eight-branched bells are not found in contemporary archaeological contexts in China and Japan, making them unique for the period.
A bronze knife (dirk) was seemingly used for engraving or sculpting with a marked triangular point at tip.Bronze Artifacts from Daegok-ri, Hwasun (Bronze Dirk) National Museum of Korea
Although the bronze mirrors with sophisticated lines have rust on the mirror side, they are in a good condition. At the back there are two knobs for hanging.Bronze Artifacts from Daegok-ri, Hwasun (Bronze Mirror with Fine Linear Design)
See also Prehistoric Korea Mumun pottery period Liaoning bronze dagger culture Proto–Three Kingdoms period References