Three Gold Crown Gaya Necklaces Excavated in Gimhae Designated as Treasures

Efforts to Designate Gaya Artifacts as National Cultural Heritage Bear Fruit

Necklace excavated from Tomb No. 322 in Yangdong-ri, Gimhae.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Woo-kwon] Three necklaces from the Gaya period excavated from the representative Geumgwan Gaya relic sites, Daeseongdong Tumuli Cluster (Historic Site No. 341) and Yangdong-ri Tumuli Cluster (Historic Site No. 454), have been designated as treasures.

The Gaya period necklaces recognized for their value as treasures are the ‘Necklace Excavated from Daeseongdong Tomb No. 76’ held by the Daeseongdong Tumuli Museum, and the ‘Crystal Necklace Excavated from Yangdong-ri Tomb No. 270’ and ‘Necklace Excavated from Yangdong-ri Tomb No. 322’ held by the National Gimhae Museum.

On the 8th, they passed the final designation review by the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Cultural Heritage Committee and were respectively designated as Treasure Nos. 2081 to 2083.

These treasures were excavated from the floors of wooden coffin tombs dating from the 3rd to 4th centuries in the Daeseongdong and Yangdong-ri Tumuli Clusters, which are burial sites of the Geumgwan Gaya ruling class. Their excavation locations are clear, and they demonstrate the pinnacle of gemstone crafting techniques of the time. In particular, their historical value was recognized as ornaments representing the costume culture of Geumgwan Gaya.

As recorded in the 3rd-century Chinese historical text, the “Records of the Three Kingdoms, Wei Biography, Eastern Barbarians Section,” which states, “The Byeon and Jinhan people valued beads more than gold or silver,” many more bead ornaments than those made of gold or silver were excavated from the Daeseongdong and Yangdong-ri Tumuli Clusters. Among these, the three necklaces designated as treasures this time are characterized by their sculptural completeness and exquisite craftsmanship, representing the essence of Gaya jewelry from the 3rd to 4th centuries.

Since 2018, Gimhae City has continuously petitioned the Cultural Heritage Administration for the national designation of important Gaya relics excavated in Gimhae, held by the Daeseongdong Tumuli Museum and the National Gimhae Museum. This effort has led to the designation of these artifacts as treasures, ranking just below national treasures among tangible cultural properties.

Additionally, the city has applied for the designation of seven types and 23 pieces of Gaya relics held by the Daeseongdong Tumuli Museum as tangible cultural properties of Gyeongsangnam-do this year. Currently, on-site investigations by the provincial cultural heritage committee and reviews of some artifacts are underway.

Mayor Heo Seong-gon of Gimhae said, “We are pleased that the designation of the Gaya necklaces as treasures has led to a reevaluation of Geumgwan Gaya relics. We will continue to strive for the designation of Gaya relics as national and provincial cultural properties and actively utilize them as historical and cultural tourism resources.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.