Production and Distribution of Big Jars in the Central Region of the Korean Peninsula during the Proto-Three Kingdoms Period to the Hanseong Period of Baekje

This study examines the entire process from the production and distribution to the con-sumption of Big Jars to understand their political context. The distribution areas of the pottery kilns where Big Jars were fired are divided into the lower reaches of the Han River (Zone A) and southern Gyeonggi (Zone B), with large-scale and small-scale production sites based on the production scale of Big Jars, and differ-ences in the location and distribution range of each production site. Both Zones A and B had multiple distribution networks through which various types of Big Jars were supplied to the consumption areas. The Cylindrical and Triangular shape Big Jars that appeared in the late Proto-Three Kingdoms period were mainly distributed in northern and southern Gyeonggi, while Egg shape Big Jars were evenly distributed throughout Seoul and Gyeonggi, with a concen-trated distribution around Osancheon, where the Baekje royal city and densely populated areas were located. The earliest type of Egg shape Big Jars is found in Pungnap Toseong, suggesting it was a central type of Baekje. Most of the Big Jars were distributed through waterways. In Zone A, Cylindrical shape Big Jars were widely distributed thanks to good accessibility to the Imjin River and Han River basins. In contrast, Zone B had disadvantages such as mountainous terrain and small river sizes, but due to the consumption power of densely populated areas, Egg shape Big Jars were widely distributed along Osancheon and Tancheon. The consumption patterns of Big Jars in the consumption areas show similarities be-tween regions with the same subsistence economy, and between regions included in the same distribution network. The consumption patterns of Egg shape Big Jars show similar aspects in the densely populated Baekje royal city and the connected Tancheon and Osan-cheon. Lastly, the distribution of storage pit groups, densely populated areas, and Egg shape Big Jars, which were utilized in the state's tax collection activities, overlaps in the upper reaches of Osancheon and Tancheon after the 4th century. This implies that Egg shape Big Jars, along with large short-necked jars, were mobilized in the state's tax collection prac-tices. Moreover, Egg shape Big Jars were consumed as a means of redistributing surplus production, serving as a safety net for local communities in preparation for crises such as