An Analysis of Deliberately Deposited Artifacts (T’oejang yumul) Discovered in Unified Silla and Koryŏ-era Temple Sites

Abstract:This article presents a systematic study of deposits of precious goods recovered from temple sites from the Unified Silla and Koryŏ periods. These deposits typically consist of metal objects that had been stored in the temple but were placed in big iron cauldrons or bells and buried for safekeeping during times of war or chaos. Unlike the chindan’gu or ritual implements to pacify the earth spirits, which were buried before the building was constructed, “deliberately deposited artifacts” (t’oejang yumul) refers to objects buried during an emergency. After burial, because of the temple’s destruction or other factors, they could not be recovered and restored to the temple; most have thus been recovered recently during archeological excavations. This article investigates artifacts recovered from twelve different sites. Following a careful comparison of the metal objects, it was ascertained that during the mid-Koryŏ period, the previous system wherein three ritual objects were employed (one incense burner, one candle holder, and one vase) shifted to a system influenced by the Southern Song (one incense burner, two candle holders, and two vases). This system with five ritual implements became more prevalent during the period of Mongol dominion, spreading to temples across the country. It is surmised that the objects recovered from such deposits did not only derive from the golden hall, the main shrine of the temple, but were used in various buildings in the temple precinct, and can serve as an index for the size of the temple in which they were found.