Regional Characteristics and Formation of Iron Artifact Deposition in Chiefdom Tombs of the Jinhan Region: A Case Study of Tomb No. 1 at Yangji-ri, Gyeongsan

This study aims to examine the structure and meaning of iron grave goods in chief burials of the Jinhan region and to clarify their regional characteristics and formative background. Focusing on Wooden Coffin Tomb No.1 at Yangji-ri, Gyeongsan, the spatial arrangement and functions of iron artifacts were analyzed according to burial stages, including the pit base, floor surface, and interior of the wooden coffin. The results demonstrate that forged iron axes, cast iron axes, and plate-shaped iron axes were systematically arranged at different stages of burial construction, indicating that iron functioned not merely as grave goods but as integral components of the mortuary structure. In particular, plate-shaped iron axes were used as a bier(屍臺) and deposited in large quantities, a phenomenon observed only in selected chief burials within the Jinhan region. By comparing the length distribution and typological characteristics of these artifacts, this study suggests that distinct patterns of standardization developed in the Geumho River basin and the Hyeongsan River basin. In the Geumho River basin, represented by Yangji-ri Tomb No.1, plate-shaped iron axes became larger and strongly standardized, whereas in the Hyeongsan River basin, exemplified by Sarari Tomb No.130 in Gyeongju, relatively smaller axes became standardized. These regional differences are better understood as reflecting variations in iron production and supply systems centered on each river basin rather than simple chronological change. Furthermore, a viewshed analysis of major Jinhan chief burials was conducted to explore the possibility that iron production and distribution were organized within the landscape controlled by these tombs. The results indicate differing viewshed structures by region, suggesting that regional patterns of iron deposition reflect distinct ways in which elite power structured the surrounding landscape.