Reconsidering the ritual and practical uses of Vertical Plate Armor

In recent decades, a considerable number of vertical plate armor has been discovered through the archaeological excavations of the upper class burials in the 4th and 5th centuries Silla and Gaya. A very interesting sequencial change of plate armor types could be indicated by the typological classification and seriation study. Among the plates that make up the vertical plate armor, what should be noted in terms of temporal change are the top plate and sleeve plates. The initial types of armor produced in the early 4th century are characterized by the morphologically exaggerated top plate and the sleeve plates large enough to interfere with the warrior's behavior. However, the vertical plate armors from the mid-4th century could be classified as an utilitarian type where the top plate is reduced to the right size and the sleeve plates are no longer attached, which is effective in protecting the body without interfering with the warrior's movements. In contrast, in the late 4th century, the swirly patterned decoration attached on the chest plate became widely popular and the non-utilitarian armor types with sleeve plates that had already disappeared began to be produce. In the early 5th century, the supply of vertical plate armor seemed to decrease overall, and it was no longer produced in the Silla area. In particular, the armors discovered in the elite burials of the Gaya polities during the 5th century, which were attached with the small decorative plates or sleeve plates, are considered to have returned to the non-utilitarian type rather than developed into the utilitarian one. Especially during the period, various attempts have been made on where the armor is placed in the burial. In large-sized burials for the highest class, the vertical plate armor is placed on top of the burial chamber, not inside it, the deceased's space, while in medium-sized burials, it is placed on a location not far from the deceased in the burial chamber. It could be suggested that the act of deploying armor in burial rituals depends on whether the armor praises the military activities of the deceased or symbolizes the succession of military command power.