Ancient Vessel Depicts Silla Faces

An ancient earthenware vessel was recently discovered in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province.

It has gotten attention for the unusual and expressive depiction on its surface.

The artifact comes from an archaeological site full of relics from the Silla Kingdom.

Archaeologists believe these relics date back to the late 6th century.

Among the artifacts was a well-preserved ceramic vessel about 28 centimeters tall.

On the upper half of this vessel, these were several openings that formed three separate faces.

Although the depiction was rudimentary, the lively faces were full of emotion and humor.

"It is the first time to discover Silla earthenware with faces on all sides," an archaeologist said.

Another important artifact unearthed at the site was a wooden tablet, which was a common method for documentation before paper was invented.

The wooden tablet, which measures 74.2 centimeters, was written by an administrative official describing a recent tax on the village.

According to history experts, it is another example of the kind of system used by the Silla Kingdom to rule over its people.

 

• vessel ˈvesl  (액체를 담는) 그릇[용기/통] @ blood vessel  혈관 (→artery, capillary, vein)   depict dɪˈpɪkt (말이나 그림으로) 묘사하다[그리다]  earthenware ˈɜːrθnwer 도기의

• expressive ɪkˈspresɪv (생각·감정을) 나타내는, 표정[표현력]이 있는 (→expressionless)  artifact ɑ́:rtəfæ̀kt 인공 유물   archaeological ɑ̀:rkiəlɑ́dƷikəl  고고학의

• relic ˈrelɪk   유물, 유적  date back to (시기 따위가) …까지 거슬러 올라가다  separate ˈsepəreɪt 분리되다, 나뉘다, 분리하다, 나누다 / 분리된, 따로 떨어진, 독립된

• rudimentary ˌruːdɪˈmentri 가장 기본[기초]적인 (=basic)  unearth ʌnˈɜːrθ  (땅속에서) 파내다, 발굴하다 (=dig up)