The Iron Empire, Gaya_2

In an age of stone, wood and bronze, iron was a significant innovation on the Korean Peninsula. Indeed, the rise and fall of a nation came to depend on the strength of its iron weaponry.

Gaya led the iron revolution and produced many kinds of iron objects, including weapons, farming implements, and horse harnesses.

Can you see the flat, axe-shaped lump of iron? It is an iron ingot. Such ingots could be used simply as an axe by attaching a handle, or further processed if heated and hammered. The iron ingot was a suitable medium for the mass production of iron objects. Being small and easy to transport and store, they were commonly exported to neighboring countries and kingdoms. Indeed, Gaya exported high-quality ingots to Japan in the second century. Ingots were also used as a form of currency.

On the right you can see tools for processing and refining iron. The process involved heating a piece of iron, hammering it, and sharpening blades on a whetstone.

The small chimney-like object is called a tuyère. Tuyères were used to inject oxygen into a furnace or kiln fire to increase the temperature. Higher temperatures produced stronger pottery and excellent quality ironwork. With abundant iron and advanced manufacturing skills, Gaya traded its commodities and became a wealthy and powerful confederacy, just like the countries of the oil-rich Middle East today.