ANALYSIS OF SILLA'S FOREIGN RELATIONS THROUGH GYERIM-RO TOMB NO. 14 AND HISTORICAL RECORDS

Abstract

This paper examines the reality of Silla's dynamic foreign relations and Eurasian civilizational exchange in the 5th and 6th centuries, focusing on the "Golden Dagger (Treasure No. 635)" excavated from Gyerim-ro Tomb No. 14 in Gyeongju in 1973. The Gyerim-ro Golden Dagger preserves Western-style metalwork styles such as granulation and cloisonné, suggesting a direct link with the nomadic civilizations of Central Asia and the Black Sea coast. In this study, the influx route of Eastern European garnet is traced through scientific component analysis of the dagger, and its lineage is identified through iconographic comparison with murals in the Kizil Caves of the Xinjiang region, China. In particular, departing from the existing Roman-centric perspective, this paper explores the possibility that Sasanian Persian metalwork technology was introduced to Silla through Central Asian Sogdian networks or maritime routes. Additionally, it critically examines the latest theories suggesting that glass vessels excavated from Hwangnamdaechong (the largest royal double-mound tomb in Gyeongju, dating to the 5th century) go beyond simple Roman glass and inherit the lineage of Sasanian Cut Glass. Furthermore, it analyzes Yoshimizu Tsuneo's "Theory of Western Artisans' Settlement" and organically connects and analyzes the civil attendant statues (warrior statues) of royal tombs from the Unified Silla period and Arabic geographical records. Through this, the study aims to prove that Silla was not merely a simple terminus of the Silk Road, but a core hub of the Eurasian network where human and material resources were actively exchanged.