Cultivated Land of Gaya, Iron Agricultural Implements, and Cooking Utensils of Gaya

These are iron farming tools from Gaya dating from the 4th century. From the 1st century B.C., Gaya produced swords and axes using their abundant deposits of iron ore. Iron farming implements enhanced agricultural productivity and thereby facilitated the development of Gaya.

The shovel-shaped farming tool on the right was used to dig channels for water and push the roots of plants into the soil. The next implement is an iron sickle that was used to reap rice. As these iron farming implements developed, the people of Gaya could farm the land with greater ease and efficacy.

So how did the people of Gaya cook and store their harvests? Look at the piece of pottery on the left. This is an earthenware steamer. Koreans have used steamers to cook food for a long, long time and they are still used to cook rice cakes today.

The people of Gaya boiled or steamed their crops in steamers such as this one. Isn’t it surprising that the same cooking equipment we use today was used 1,700 years ago? As we can see, Gaya’s agriculture flourished as a result of both abundant natural resources and advanced technology.