A Characteristic Analysis of Glass Beads Excavated from the Naedeok-ri Site in Gimhae

Abstract

This study conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 10 beads and a surface analysis of 38 beads among 48 glass beads excavated from the Naedeok-ri site in the Gimhae region, Korea. According to the cross-sectional analysis results, all glass beads were cobalt blue, and depending on the period, the bead colors from wooden coffin tomb No. 19 from the Proto-Three Kingdoms period and wooden coffin tomb No. 92 from the Three Kingdoms period were determined to be ultramarine and Wedgewood blue. According to the surface analysis results, the colors of the beads were divided into blue from the Proto-Three Kingdoms and Three Kingdoms eras, and brown from the Joseon Dynasty. Furthermore, the size of the beads was estimated to be Gimhae “small-sized”. These small beads were popular until the late Gaya period. As a result of analyzing the composition of the glass, only potash 1 type was confirmed in the cross section, but lead, potash, and soda glass were confirmed in the surface analysis. This is because glass from the Proto-Three Kingdoms period was easily broken, and glass from the Three Kingdoms period was excavated relatively complete. Through this study, Gimhae Naedeok-ri is confirmed to be a group that uses glass with various ingredients. These results reveal a trend moving in the following order: lead-barium Ⅱ → potash Ⅰ⋅Ⅱ → soda alumina → potash Ⅲ⋅lead glass.