‘Haman Ugori Togi Gama Group’ Designated as Cultural Property by Gyeongnam Province ... Aiming for Promotion to National Historic Site

Representative Pottery Production Site of the Gaya Period Also Influenced the Formation of Kiln Sites in Japan

Haman Ugori Kiln Site in Gyeongnam.
[Image source=Gyeongsangnam-do]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] The Ugori Kiln Cluster in Haman-gun, Gyeongnam was designated as a Gyeongsangnam-do monument on the 3rd.

According to Gyeongnam Province, the Haman Ugori Kiln Cluster is a large-scale Gaya period pottery production site located at the edge of Cheonjesan Mountain, 224.9 meters above sea level, in the areas of Gaya-eup and Beopsu-myeon in Haman-gun.

A large quantity of pottery produced here was distributed to various regions in Yeongnam and Honam through the Namgang and Nakdong Rivers, and it also influenced the formation of the Osaka Tsuemura Kiln Site (陶邑 古窯址群), a representative Sueki production site in Japan.

Gyeongnam Province announced that it designated the site as a provincial cultural asset due to its high historical value as an important site that can clarify the production and distribution of Gaya pottery.

According to the province, the Cheonjesan area is adjacent to the Namgang River, providing an optimal environment for obtaining high-quality clay used as raw material for pottery and for transporting the produced pottery to other regions.

Haman-gun, the ancient capital (古都) of Ara Gaya, has 18 Gaya period pottery kiln sites distributed, with 16 of them located in the Cheonjesan area alone.

The newly designated provincial cultural assets are two sites in Beopsu-myeon: Ugori 215 and San 139, where academic excavations were conducted. Four pottery kilns and two pits used for discarding failed pottery were excavated.

A provincial official explained, “Tens of thousands of various pottery shards from 4th-century Ara Gaya were unearthed there, vividly revealing the kiln operation methods and environment of the Gaya people 1,600 years ago.”

Jung Yeonbo, head of the Cultural Heritage Division, said, “The Haman Ugori Kiln Cluster, which well demonstrates the status of Gaya pottery culture, will be utilized as a key site in the Gaya Historical and Cultural Zone Development Project,” adding, “We plan to actively promote its designation as a national historic site in cooperation with Haman-gun in the future.”

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