Research On Bohai Glazed Pottery

Bohai Period glazed pottery is an important subject of archaeological research.The study of Bohai glazed potteries,not only can reflect the skill of Bohai potters,but can also contribute to the study of the wider glazed pottery cultural complex in 6th Century northeast Asia.In recent years there has been an accumulation of archaeological research on Bohai glazed potteries which now needs to be integrated.This research has mainly focused on the early period of ceramic production.However,it has not adequately addressed the structural components of Bohai glazed potteries.In addition,the comparison between Bohai glazed potteries and those of the Central Plains needs further study.This paper aims to address these issues through a new analysis of both old and new glazed pottery assemblages.This paper is dived into three parts.The first section discusses the identification of Bohai glazed potteries in China,Primorsky Krai,and the northeastern part of the Korean Peninsula,with a focus on tabulating the types and quantities of glazed wares excavated at different locales.Additionally,this section clarifies the history of research into these glazed potteries.The second section presents the current analyses.The first analysis consists of a typological study of Bohai glazed potteries.Glazed pottery types included in this analysis were: daily use wares,architectural components and polychrome(tricolor)burial figurines.The second analysis is a study of Bohai glazed pottery beast head building components.This analysis consists of a clarification of the method of installation,a reanalysis of their measurements,and the creation of a typology for these structural components.Thirdly,this paper presents a analysis of measurements of glazed pottery column base covers from the Bohai Supreme capital city.The third section includes a discussion of several important questions in Bohai glazed pottery archaeology.The chronology of Bohai glazed potteries is improved through a comparative analysis of Bohai artefacts of unknown age with artefacts from the Central Plains that have secure chronologies.From this analysis we can conclude that Bohai daily use glazed potteries and polychrome figurines were mainly popular during the 8th Century,or early Bohai Period.This comparison also exposes relationships between glazed potteries being produced in the Central Plains and those found in Bohai sites.The similarities between these glazed pottery types may be indicative of export of glazed potteries from the Central Plains to the Bohai,or local production of Central Plains type wares.Building components from Bohai sites,however,have obvious Bohai characteristics and are likely produced locally(although no local kilns have been discovered yet).Also discussed are questions regarding the use of glazed potteries by certain elite social classes.From the data presented here it is concluded that use of glazed potteries was not restricted to the royal family or senior nobles but had a broader circulation amongst the elite.The use of glazed architectural components such as tiles,ceramic beast heads and glazed pottery column base covers are also found to be restricted to certain elite social classes.The final section sums up the main cognition and points out the limitation of the research.