Ash-glazed Pottery Kiln Site in Hwasan-ri, Gyeongju

Basic information

Designation

Historic Site No.241

Category

유적지

Era

통일신라시대

Designated year

1974

Location

경주시, 경상북도— 경상북도 경주시 천북면 화산리 945

Coordinates

35.924452, 129.274748

This is a place where earthenware was made during the Silla Dynasty, and traces of the kilns from that time still remain. Many pottery fragments are scattered around the fields nearby, most of them crushed together because they were the ones rejected from the kilns. But it was found that broken pieces from the kiln wall were made of hard clay, so it is expected that the kilns will be well preserved they are when excavated. Most of the pottery found at the old site has impressed flower designs and are believed to have been made in between the 7th and 8th centuries. Approximately 20% of them were coated with ash glaze, which is quite remarkable. Various shapes have been found, like wineglasses, bowls and bottles, as well as large pot and a small case with a square cover. There are also various flower designs impressed on the pottery. Considering the other kiln sites for earthenware with flower design, found near here in this region, it is possible to surmise that the pottery used around Gyeongju in the first half of Unified Silla was mainly produced in this region. The fragments excavated from the sites are important material for study of the earthenware of Unified Silla in the 7th-8th centuries. In particular, items coated with ash glaze found at the Hwasan-ri site indicates that they were more advanced products than the earlier ones coated with natural glaze, and manufactured by a superior technique. The discovery of ash glaze-coated pottery is really significant, because it shows an important improvement in the manufacturing technique of ceramic wares in our country, since celadon originated from the basic technique of applying ash glaze onto a ceramic surface.

Location