SillaSilla KoreaKorea andand thethe SilkSilk Road:Road: GoldenGolden Age,Age, GoldenGolden ThreadsThreads AA lessonlesson bookbook forfor worldworld history,history, worldworld geographygeography andand AsianAsian studiesstudies classesclasses (published(published byby TheThe KoreaKorea Society)Society) AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgments The Friends of The Korea Society The Freeman Foundation The Academy of Korean Studies The Organizations and Individudualsals who provided images Project Director: Yong Jin Choi Consultants: Jong-wook Lee, Bangryong Park, Richard D. McBride II, Gari Ledyard and Ned Shultz Curriculum Writers: Marjorie Wall Bingham and Yong Jin Choi Editor: Frederick F. Carriere Editorial Assistants: Rebecca Brabant, Grace Chon and Delmas Hare Mini-Lesson Writer: Ane Lintevedt Graphic and Book Designer: Seho Kim Power Point Presentation: Mary Connor and Yong Jin Choi ObjectivesObjectives ofof thethe SillaSilla KoreaKorea andand thethe SilkSilk RoadRoad LessonLesson BookBook ExpandExpand thethe viewview ofof thethe SilkSilk Road,Road, internationalinternational trade,trade, andand culturalcultural exchangeexchange foundfound inin mostmost worldworld historyhistory textbookstextbooks andand classes.classes. UpdateUpdate maps,maps, timelinestimelines andand descriptionsdescriptions ofof thethe SilkSilk Road,Road, includingincluding Korea’sKorea’s integralintegral involvementinvolvement inin thethe SilkSilk RoadRoad tradetrade andand thethe transmissiontransmission ofof SilkSilk RoadRoad ideasideas andand goodsgoods fromfrom KoreaKorea toto Japan.Japan. Globalization:Globalization: ThenThen andand NowNow TheThe lessonlesson bookbook examinesexamines whetherwhether oror notnot SillaSilla benefitedbenefited fromfrom internationalinternational connectionsconnections alongalong thethe SilkSilk Road.Road. ThroughThrough adoptionadoption ofof SillaSilla KoreaKorea andand thethe SilkSilk RoadRoad,, studentsstudents comecome toto understandunderstand thatthat somesome ofof today’stoday’s issuesissues ofof globalizationglobalization werewere alsoalso presentpresent forfor pastpast cultures.cultures. TheThe SilkSilk RoadRoad TheThe SilkSilk RoadRoad waswas aa groupgroup ofof ancientancient tradetrade routesroutes thatthat stretchedstretched overover 6,0006,000 milesmiles fromfrom thethe MediterraneanMediterranean SeaSea acrossacross CentralCentral AsiaAsia toto EastEast Asia.Asia. ItIt flourishedflourished primarilyprimarily fromfrom 100100 BCEBCE toto 1,5001,500 CE.CE. TheThe SilkSilk RoadRoad waswas thethe “center“center ofof thethe world”world” inin termsterms ofof commercecommerce andand culture.culture. TownsTowns alongalong thethe SilkSilk RoadRoad providedprovided food,food, waterwater andand restrest asas wellwell asas opportunitiesopportunities forfor culturalcultural andand commercialcommercial exchanges.exchanges. TheThe SilkSilk RoadRoad Camel caravans and pack horses carried most goods across dry, harsh regions. Spectacular mountain ranges, huge wind-blown deserts with 1,000 foot dunes, and vast, stony, waterless tracts posed great obstacles for the traveler. In the market towns, traders experienced a rich mixture of languages, foods, dress, customs and religious ideas. By 800 CE, traffic on the Silk Road began to decrease as traders started to travel by safer sea routes. A final period of heavy traffic occurred during the 13th and 14th centuries when the Mongols ruled Central Asia and China. During this time, Korea was forced to accept Yuan suzerainty. Through the vastness of the Mongolian Empire, Korea became even more open to cultural and technological influences. TraditionalTraditional MapMap ofof thethe SilkSilk Road:Road: RoutesRoutes dodo notnot includeinclude toto KoreaKorea oror JapanJapan NorthernNorthern andand SouthernSouthern SilkSilk RoadRoad RoutesRoutes withwith Korean,Korean, JapaneseJapanese andand MaritimeMaritime ConnectionsConnections SillaSilla andand thethe SilkSilk RoadRoad StudentsStudents rarelyrarely havehave thethe opportunityopportunity toto studystudy thethe impactimpact thatthat tradedtraded goodsgoods andand exchangedexchanged ideasideas hadhad onon peoplespeoples fromfrom differentdifferent cultures.cultures. AA studystudy ofof SillaSilla isis significantsignificant becausebecause itit showsshows anan EasternEastern insteadinstead ofof aa WesternWestern viewview ofof SilkSilk RoadRoad tradetrade andand dealsdeals withwith aa timetime periodperiod thatthat producedproduced oneone ofof thethe world’sworld’s “Golden“Golden Ages.”Ages.” BackgroundBackground InformationInformation TheThe KoreanKorean peninsulapeninsula waswas divideddivided intointo ThreeThree Kingdoms:Kingdoms: KoguryoKoguryo (37(37 BCEBCE--668668 CE),CE), PaekchePaekche (18(18 BCEBCE--660660 CE)CE) andand SillaSilla (57(57 BCEBCE--668668 CE).CE). TheseThese kingdomskingdoms frequentlyfrequently foughtfought eacheach other.other. Eventually,Eventually, SillaSilla unitedunited thethe ThreeThree KingdomsKingdoms toto formform thethe UnifiedUnified SillaSilla KingdomKingdom (668(668 CECE--935935 CE).CE). SillaSilla laidlaid thethe foundationfoundation forfor thethe historicalhistorical developmentdevelopment ofof thethe KoreanKorean people.people. TheThe SilkSilk RoadRoad contributedcontributed toto Silla’sSilla’s GoldenGolden Age,Age, aa fascinatingfascinating periodperiod thatthat inclincludesudes greatgreat architecturearchitecture andand sculpture,sculpture, loftylofty ideas,ideas, newnew tradetrade routesroutes andand aa uniqueunique politicalpolitical systemsystem thatthat allowedallowed womenwomen toto rule.rule. AllAll ofof thesethese topicstopics areare coveredcovered inin thethe SillaSilla lessonlesson book.book. EarlyEarly Cultural/TechnologicalCultural/Technological ExchangeExchange EarlyEarly inin thethe firstfirst millenniummillennium BCE,BCE, distinctivedistinctive bronzebronze objectsobjects thatthat incorporatedincorporated animalanimal motifsmotifs werewere foundfound allall acrossacross thethe northernnorthern frontierfrontier ofof NortheastNortheast Asia.Asia. InIn thethe MediterraneanMediterranean andand MiddleMiddle East,East, technicianstechnicians smeltedsmelted oreore inin smallsmall furnacesfurnaces andand formedformed animalanimal-- shapedshaped objectsobjects withwith smithingsmithing methodsmethods onon anan anvil.anvil. NomadicNomadic ScythiansScythians carriedcarried theirtheir knowledgeknowledge intointo easterneastern SiberiaSiberia byby 700700 BCE.BCE. TheThe ChChineseinese inventedinvented smeltingsmelting techniquestechniques onon theirtheir ownown andand mademade ironiron toolstools byby 500500 BCE.BCE. ByBy 400400 BCEBCE bothboth ScythianScythian andand ChineseChinese methodsmethods werewere availableavailable toto residentresidentss ofof thethe KoreanKorean peninsula.peninsula. ScythoScytho--SiberianSiberian InfluencesInfluences onon EarlyEarly Silla,Silla, 44thth--66thth CenturiesCenturies TheThe numbernumber ofof metalmetal relicsrelics andand personalpersonal ornamentsornaments excavatedexcavated fromfrom thethe SillaSilla royaroyall tombs,tombs, indicateindicate culturalcultural elementselements transmittedtransmitted fromfrom thethe northernnorthern ScythoScytho--SiberianSiberian cultureculture thatthat becamebecame partpart ofof thethe indigenousindigenous societysociety ofof Silla.Silla. AA ““rhytonrhyton”” isis aa HellenisticHellenistic hornhorn--shapedshaped drinkingdrinking cupcup mademade fromfrom tusk,tusk, hornhorn oror silver.silver. IraniansIranians ofof thethe SassanianSassanian DynastyDynasty mademade potterypottery rhytonsrhytons inin thethe shapeshape ofof anan animal’sanimal’s head.head. RhtyonsRhtyons withwith thesethese IranianIranian adaptationsadaptations werewere broughtbrought toto ChinaChina andand KoreaKorea throughthrough CentralCentral Asia.Asia. TigeTigerr-- andand HorseHorse--ShapedShaped BronzeBronze BeltBelt BucklesBuckles fromfrom OunOun--dong,dong, Yongch’onYongch’on EarlyEarly lstlst CenturyCentury –– BeltBelt bucklesbuckles unearthedunearthed inin KoreaKorea reflectreflect ScythianScythian modelingmodeling andand vitality.vitality. AnimalAnimal HeadHead--shapedshaped PotteryPottery HorseHorse headhead--shapedshaped SheepSheep--headedheaded rhyton,rhyton, potterypottery rhytonrhyton fromfrom Iran,Iran, 66th centurycentury BCE.BCE. Pusan,Pusan, 44th centurycentury CE.CE. BronzeBronze RhytonRhyton DiscoveredDiscovered atat KumgwanKumgwan TumuliTumuli inin KyongjuKyongju SimilarSimilar oneone discovereddiscovered fromfrom KulKul-- ObaOba tombtomb inin thethe steppesteppe regionsregions SiberianSiberian andand ManchurianManchurian InfluencesInfluences onon SillaSilla ObjectsObjects fromfrom burialburial sitessites includeinclude mandolinmandolin-- shaped,shaped, ManchurianManchurian--stylestyle bronzebronze daggers,daggers, polishedpolished stonestone arrowheads,arrowheads, cylindricalcylindrical beadsbeads mademade ofof jasper,jasper, andand exquisitelyexquisitely polishedpolished commacomma-- shapedshaped ornamentsornaments mademade ofof preciousprecious stone.stone. EarlyEarly SiberianSiberian (1,500(1,500 BCE)BCE) andand ManchurianManchurian (100(100 BCE)BCE) artifactsartifacts continuedcontinued toto influenceinfluence KoreanKorean artisansartisans andand werewere foundfound inin thethe imposingimposing moundmound tombstombs inin Kyongju,Kyongju, thethe capitalcapital ofof Silla.Silla. ShamanismShamanism ShamansShamans werewere commoncommon inin thethe ancientancient culturescultures ofof SiberiaSiberia andand