Artifacts from Chamber Tomb with Stone Mound at Chopo-ri, Hampyeong

This assortment of bronze artifacts was excavated from a wooden coffin burial at a stone mound tomb site in Chopo-ri, Hampyeong, which dates to the Early Iron Age. Notably, while the dolmen burials of the Bronze Age served either as community monuments or burials for the elite, the wooden coffin burials with stone mounds consisted of deep burial pits that were meant to hold the remains of deceased individuals. This change in funerary practices is highly significant for understanding the development of human social values and activities. The tomb at the Chopo-ri site contained numerous bronze objects of the highest quality, suggesting that the deceased was a powerful member of the community. Most of the objects found in the tomb were bronze, and they included weapons (e.g., Korean-type daggers, a Chinese- type dagger, fittings for a dagger pommel, a spearhead, a halberd); ritual items (e.g., mirrors with fine linear designs, bells); and tools (e.g., an axe, chisel, and carving knife).

   At the base of the wooden coffin, there were two Korean-type bronze daggers, three mirrors with linear designs, and curved pieces of jade, which appear to have been used as earrings. Bronze bells were found in the space between the outer coffin walls and the burial pit, amongst the packing stones. Also discovered was a Korean-type bronze dagger sheath made of wood. The Chinese-type bronze dagger was found to be an imitation produced in the Korean Peninsula, and its presence may be regarded as compelling evidence of cultural interaction with central China.