Silla as the land of Gold

As evidenced by the history of the Silla kingdom, it can be stated that the cultural interactions played an essential part in the development of early Korean society. Despite some perceptions of Korea being isolated throughout its history, there are arguments that I went through that prove otherwise. This is based on facts from trade, some archaeological discoveries, and often shared symbolism indicating that the Silla kingdom was also part of larger communities around the world. This can be seen through the rich reputation it held as well as its involvement in the long distance trade and cultural symbolism.

“Land of Gold”

The Foreign perception of the nation can prove to be one of the most effective evidence of Silla being internationally recognized. Silla was referred to as an extremely rich and prosperous nation in all of the known empires. In Silla: Korea’s Golden Kingdom, I read that “Silla was the ‘country of gold’ in the eyes of the outside world” (Lee and Leidy 2013, 31). This shows their reputation as a wealthy nation existed among all the other nations like Japan or Arabia.

In addition, travelers testimonies also support the same view about Silla’s richness and abundance of things. In this case, according to Lee and Leidy “Gold is too common. Even the dog’s leash and the monkey’s collar are made of gold”(Lee and Leidy 2013, 31). This shows how it might be an exaggeration but gives us the idea how outsiders perceived Silla. Most importantly, such testimonies tell us how Silla became internationally famous, and it had to be because there must have been cultural exchanges with many other societies.¹

Trade Networks and the Silk Road

The interactions that occurred between Silla and other cultures around it were not only based on its reputation but also actively participated in trade networks. The Silk Road is one of the major networks that connected East Asia to Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Most of the maps of the ancient trade networks do not show the role played by Korea but recent research shows that there were interactions through such routes.

The interactions that occurred between Silla and other cultures around it were not according to Sun Woong Bang “the culture of ancient Korea had never been a totally isolated entity… it had a constant flow of interaction with various cultures” (Bang 2016, 25). He also talks about how Koreans traded their goods like silk, glass and jewelry from the fourth century to the tenth century. These goods have no origin in Korea and were obtained through trade with foreign societies which taught Koreas to foreign technology.

The trade of goods resulted in an exchange of other cultural aspects. People like merchants who were traders moved from one region to another showing ways they exchanged ideas.

The Golden Earrings and Artistic Exchange

Archaeological discoveries also serve as evidence of cultural interaction, especially because of artifacts with evident influence from another culture. The artifacts that serve as a great example of such interactions like the earrings found in Gyeongju. What makes these special is that they differ significantly in design and material used from other objects created in Silla.

Specifically, Bang also talks about how these objects from the Silla are almost always covered with gold sheets and other unknown gemstones they couldn’t identify. The presence of the beaded materials used for these earrings, together with the way it is designed, suggests a connection to both Central Asia and the Byzantine Empire. The earrings can be classified as either imported or greatly influenced by another culture.

This shows that the exchange of cultures had a direct impact on artistic activity in Silla. Instead of staying completely cut off from the rest of the world, Silla artists began implementing foreign elements into their art.

Shared Symbols and Cultural Meaning

Material exchanges are not the only types of interactions between cultures that occurred. Cultural exchange can also take place through the sharing of symbols and ideologies.

For instance, in Korea, a culture can be found with symbols related to the concept of a text I read on Sam Taeguk, which is a concept depicting the balance between elements such as heaven, earth, and humanity as one. From what I learned, I can understand how these symbols did not originate from one another, but from their meanings and how they must have spread through regions due to cultural exchange.

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Conclusion

Well evidence from the Silla Kingdom proves that cultural exchange had an impact on ancient Korea. Being a country known for its abundance in gold, Silla was well known to many other civilizations. The involvement of Silla in trade relations through such routes as the Silk Road demonstrates the impact of international communication on civilization. Examples of cultural exchange in Silla include the mixing of artistic styles seen in such goods as the golden earrings or other common symbols.

Silla, can neither be considered a separate and self sufficient civilization, but a complex system that underwent influence from both internal and external factors. Cultural exchange was one of those aspects that defined Korean history.

Bibliography

• Lee, Soyoung, and Denise Patry Leidy. Silla: Korea’s golden kingdom. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013.
• Bang, Sun. “Re-contextualised transcultural artwork: re-imagining pattern and symbol of the nomadic relic in the digital era.” PhD diss., RMIT University, 2024.