The New Leader, Dae Gaya

Let’s now take a look at the relics of Dae Gaya, the rulers of the Gaya Confederacy during its later period. Geumgwan Gaya began to decline after it was attacked by two allied kingdoms during the late 4th and early 5th centuries. The rapidly developing polity of Dae Gaya soon took over Geumgwan Gaya’s position, and became the leader of the confederacy.

Just as the word Dae means ‘great’, the tombs of Dae Gaya kings possessed a profusion of great and luxurious artifacts. The most popular relic is the gilt-bronze crown displayed in the middle. The predominant motif of the crown features blades of grass and lotus buds. This type of crown was mainly found in Dae Gaya, and suggests that there was a strong leader who was deserving of such a crown, just like the king of a kingdom.

Let’s turn around and look at some more artifacts. Can you see the long sword? Although it is rusty, the sword retains dignity. The focal point of the sword is the hilt. If you look closely, you will see a small, delicate, oriental phoenix ornament. The higher the social status of a sword’s owner, the more elaborate the ornamentation became. Thus, mystical animals such as dragons and phoenixes were only used by people of the highest social status. This sword provides further evidence that Dae Gaya was indeed a wealthy country under strong leadership.