• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.168-183
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• 2020

Efforts had been made to eliminate the brittleness unique to cast ironware from 5 BC up until the time that cast ironware became widely used. One of the techniques used to this end was to produce the cast ironware in one kiln and then anneal it in another kiln. This technique condensed or removed the carbon in the structure to eliminate the brittleness of cast ironware and enable forging. To clarify the nature of this technique, this study examined cast ironware made of malleable cast iron, which manifests the characteristics of the annealing technique for cast ironware excavated on the Korean peninsula, based on current steelmaking technology and research results from China and Japan. Results confirmed that all cast ironware made of malleable cast iron had been imported into Korea until the Proto-Three Kingdoms Period. Also, since the Chiljido (Seven-Branched Sword), which is housed at the Ishigami Shrine in Japan, appears to have been produced in the Korean peninsula, it is determined that Baekje in the 4^th century must have possessed such an annealing technique. At that time, however, iron was produced mainly with an iron bloom, and a large amount of forged iron was produced with a steel bloom smelted from an iron bloom. In addition, most of the cast ironware that was used previously, except for cast iron hoes, had been replaced by forged ironware. In other words, this annealing technique was not used frequently until the Three Kingdoms Period. However, it spread broadly during the Unified Silla Period in so much as it was identified in the Jangan-ri remains, which represented the regional hub of iron production and distribution.