[Treasure] Bronze relics found near the Yeongsan River

Name: Bronze Artifacts from Daegok-ri, Hwasun County

Period: Unknown

Location: Gwangju, South Jeolla

Status: National Treasure No. 143

These relics were found in Hwasun County, South Jeolla, along the Yeongsan River.

Among these relics, the following were designated national treasures: three slender bronze daggers, two bronze bells with eight heads, two bronze bells with twin heads, a bronze hand knife, a bronze ax and two bronze mirrors with fine linear designs.

The slender bronze daggers have sharp edges on both sides while the protruding part of the center of the sword differs from the other parts.

Among those unearthed on the Korean Peninsula, these appear to have been made most recently.

The bronze bells with eight heads are designed to make sounds when bronze beads are placed inside.

They were believed to have been used by shamans for religious rites. The surface of the bells exhibits fern-brake patterns.

The bronze bells with twin heads are also designed to make sounds when bronze beads are placed inside. These, too, were believed to have been used for shamanistic or religious rites.

The bronze hand knife was thought to have been used for sculpting. The bronze ax has a hole into which a wooden handle was inserted. The bronze mirrors with fine linear designs feature geometric patterns on the back and two knobs.

These objects are composed of diverse types that display exquisite production techniques, thus serving as important materials for those studying the Bronze Age on the Korean Peninsula.