In the Korean Peninsula, along with bronze artifacts introduced from the Central Plains of China and the steppe regions, locally produced artifacts have also been identified. However, no bronze-making sites, alloying sites necessary for mixing metals, or smelting sites have been discovered. As a result, discussions on the possibility of local production have relied on typological classification of excavated artifacts or stone molds as evidence.
Recently, however, tuyeres, which appear to have been used in the smelting process for casting bronzes, have been excavated, particularly in the southern region. This increases the likelihood that bronze production took place locally.
Therefore, by re-examining tuyeres discovered in previous excavations, as well as artifacts found during surface surveys that were not previously identified in terms of their function, this study aims to determine whether bronze was indeed produced in the southern region of the Korean Peninsula.
Based on previous research, the tuyeres unearthed in southern Korea show typological differences from those used in the Central Plains of China. However, they share morphological similarities with those found in the Liaoxi region and the Tumen River basin, as well as, more distantly, with those discovered at the Novotroitskoye I site in Omsk, Russia, and the Strelkovskoye-2 site in the Angara River basin. Therefore, this study seeks to demonstrate that bronze-making technology in the southern Korean Peninsula has its origins in the steppe region.