Abstract
This study aims to examine the development process of the early stone pagodas of Unified Silla. The history of stone pagodas traces back to both Baekje and Silla in the Three Kingdoms period, but the styles and structures of pagodas began differently. In other words, Baekje attempted to recreate the wooden pagoda style, while Silla attempted to recreate China' brick pagoda style. These different stone pagoda cultures, around the unification of Three Kingdoms, underwent new style changes, and after the mid-7th century, some changes in the five-storied stone pagodas in Tapri appeared, and the milestone perfection of Silla's stone pagodas was achieved through those of Gameusa Temple and Goseonsa Temple. After the mid-7th century, Silla's stone pagodas accommodated some of Baekje's wooden pagodas' elements, shifted from the wooden pagoda style and developed into its own stone pagoda style. This is shown in numerous stone pagodas. However, in Silla's stone pagodas, including the three-storied stone pagoda in Hwagboksa Temple in 692, the size of the pagoda became small and underwent sudden changes. In other words, a new direction of Silla stone pagodas was presented in terms of how massive stones could be reduced, but they differed only in the reduced stone amount; the basic developed style of the Gameunsa Temple stone pagoda and the Goseonsa Temple stone pagoda inherited the traditional style. Thus, the construction of these two pagodas is considered to be significant in the Silla's history of stone pagodas.