Abstract

This study examines the contexts, procedures, vessel types, and meanings of pottery destruction at sites in the Gyeonggi region during the Hanseong period of Baekje. This practice appears to have become prominent in the Baekje core area after the mid-fourth century and was selectively conducted in politically and economically important contexts. Destroyed vessels are categorized into ritual, storage, and cooking vessels. Ritual vessels are found mainly in the capital core and at state-associated storage sites, while storage vessels are found primarily in wells and tombs; cooking vessels are rare. Ritual procedures ranged from complex ceremonies involving commensality, offerings, sacrifice, and burning at Pungnaptoseong Fortress and the Seokchon-dong tomb complex to termination rituals centered on pottery destruction in settlements with flask-shaped storage pits. The meanings of the practice vary by context and include ritual termination, prevention of reuse, protection against impurities, the display of authority, and the formation of social relationships.