A Study on the Iron Weapons System and War Method of Jinhan

This study undertakes an analysis of iron weapons, which are believed to have been the main weapons of the time, and compares them against supplementary sources such as ethnographies, paintings, and literature to obtain a more concrete understanding of ‘war’, which was an important event in the process of political reorganization in Jinhan (辰韓). In Stage I, the emergence period, iron weapons were produced mainly in the Daegu region. However, the insufficient nature of archaeological data indicating tension and conflict among communities makes it difficult to ascertain the specific war methods that would have been employed. Nevertheless, it is plausible that ‘ritual war’ or ‘symbolic war’, as evidenced in ethnographic examples, may have taken place. In Stage II, the proliferation period, iron weapons were buried in various locations, and personal armaments reached a point where it was feasible for individuals to arm themselves. Furthermore, a weapons system centered on iron spears was established. Consequently, military units composed of spearmen were organized, and close combat, such as that depicted on the bronze wares of the Warring States Period, transformed into ‘war’. In Stage III, the period of diversification, there was a notable increase in the concentration of iron weapons on the southeastern coast. Additionally, the practice of burying iron arrowheads in bundles reached a point where it could be considered a form of mass armament. As weapons were improved and developed, the scale of ‘war’ increased, and the aspects of close combat intensified. In responseto this growing complexity of ‘war’, communities that recognized the importance of pre-emptive strikes may have developed archers into organized units and employed shooting tactics, as evidenced by the relief sculptures of the Han Dynasty. These changes are also reflected in Sanguozhi (三國志) and Samguk sagi (三國史記). The advanced artifacts and war systems brought by the immigrantsof Qin (秦) and Han (漢) were an important trigger for the changes to ‘war’. The articles relating to the subjugation of smaller polities by Saro-guk (斯盧國) indicate that aspects of war had become more intense.