Opening of the National Gaya History and Culture Center
The Gaya Ancient Tombs, spanning both the Gyeongsang-do and Jeolla-do regions, represent Korea’s 16th UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2023. Gaya is said to have been one of the most sophisticated kingdoms of its time, with advanced iron-crafting techniques, horse-related culture, and maritime networks. However, most of its history remains veiled to us today. We opened Gaya National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage to promote more interest in and support for Gaya history research by the public
Gaya National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, designed
to serve as a cultural complex where Gaya history research
materials are exhibited and related training is conducted, opened
its doors in Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do, on September 5 this
year. Its opening is all the more significant as the inscription
of the Gaya Ancient Tombs as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
aroused the interest of global heritage enthusiasts in Gaya.
Serving as the Hub of Gaya History Research and Utilization
The center consists of a storage space, exhibition halls,
auditorium, archiving room, conservation treatment room,
and lab spread over three above-ground floors and one
basement floor. The special exhibition World Heritage Gaya – Breaths of Horses, Reverberations of Iron, and Memories
of Ancient Tombs is being held in the first-floor exhibition hall in celebration of its opening. This exhibition showcases
reproductions of horse armor excavated from Marisan
Mountain Tomb 8 in Haman-gun, which is part of the Gaya
Ancient Tombs inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The excavated horse armor speaks of Gaya’s advanced iron
processing techniques.
The center is expected serve as the hub of Gaya history
studies as well as the integrated management of archeological
findings (artifacts, historic sites, etc.), archived records, and
documents across Gyeongsang-do and Jeolla-do. It also plans
to put Gaya heritage on display for the public, expand its
collection, and build a database of Gaya-related artifacts. As an
extension of this plan, the center will open a larchiveum (library archive + museum) in 2025 to allow the public to learn more about and explore the history of Gaya
Hosting an Academic Seminar in Celebration of the Opening
To celebrate the center’s opening, an academic seminar
entitled “Unraveling the Secrets of Horse Armor Found in
Marisan Mountain Tomb 8 in Haman-gun” was hosted. The
horse armor from Marisan Mountain Tomb 8 in Haman-gun
is an important artifact that attests to Gaya’s position as the
“Iron Kingdom.” This horse armor was created by connecting
iron pieces together and reveals that Gaya utilized cavalry.
This warfare technique was far advanced compared to those
employed by other kingdoms at the time.
The seminar presentations were given in order of “Structure
and Traits of the Combat Harness1) Excavated from Marisan
Mountain Tomb 8 in Haman-gun” (by Kim Seong-ho, Pusan
National University Museum), “Production Process and Traits of
the Horse Armor and Helmets from Marisan Mountain Tomb
8” (by Han Wu-rim/Park Yeong-ah, Gaya National Research
1) Armor, helmets, etc., designed for battle horses
Institute of Cultural Heritage, and Lim Ji-yeong, Pusan National
University Museum), “Reproduction of the Horse Armor and
Helmets from Marisan Mountain Tomb 8” (by Jang Gyeong
suk of History Contents Production Company), “Restoration
of the Ancient Saddles of East Asia” (by Lee Eun-seok of Gaya
National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage), “Horse Armor
and Helmets with Jewel Beetle Decoration from Funabaru
Kofun in Koga, Fukuoka” (by Kamiya Masahiro, former member
of the Dakai City Education Committee), and “Evolution of
the Horse Harness During the Period from the End of the
Han Dynasty through the Wei, Jin, Southern, and Northern
Dynasties and Its Impact on Armed Mounted Troops” (by Li
Yunhe of School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking
University).
Afterward, the presenters sat down with the audience
and freely discussed the research outcomes regarding
the restoration of East Asia’s combat harness production
techniques and future tasks.
The National Gaya History and Culture Center finally opened
its doors to the public. We strongly believe that it will remain
a trailblazer in uncovering and highlighting Gaya’s history with
the continued support of the public.
01 National Gaya History and Culture Center
02 Academic seminar in celebration of the opening of the center
03 Putting a combat harness on a mock battle horse in real-life scale