The Bronze Ware in Chungnam

These artifacts are bronze swords and earthenware that were discovered in the mid-southern area of the Korean Peninsula. They are artifacts that can help inform us about the Bronze Age in this region.

Bronze Age developments increased productivity. Expert bronze craftsmen started to appear, the rights to private property were accepted, and social classes began to emerge. With increased production, there was a surplus of produced goods, and people with power were able to acquire these goods as private property. There were conflicts among people because of the possibility of private property acquisition and the unequal distribution of produce. This resulted in the stratification of society and led to discrimination between the classes.

Those groups with strong political power and more economic resources sought to control and acquire smaller, less powerful neighboring groups, and could request payments from those who had been subjugated. Also, there was an emergence of chiefs, or rulers, of each of these groups of people.

How about we take a look at the artifacts one by one?

The sword was actually made of bronze. The one that looks like a violin is a Chinese type of sword, whereas the one that has a slimmer blade is a Korean type of sword.

How about we turn to the plain pottery this time? A piece of plain pottery is exactly what the name suggests – it is a vessel without any design or pattern. Compared to the comb-pattern pottery from the Neolithic Age, it is not only undecorated but also the base of the vessel is flat and many of the vessels have necks. They are also stronger, thicker, and more practical because they were made in various shapes and sizes.

The Bronze Age in the mid-western part of the Korean Peninsula was influenced by Bronze Age cultures from the Han River area and also northeastern China. It later went on in turn to influence the culture of the southern regions of the peninsula and also Japan.