Abstract

This paper aims to identify the usage of earthenware pottery for food storage based on surviving written records and materials excavated from Goryeo period sites. Although written records from this period is insufficient by themselves, this research has been possible thanks to well-preserved pottery excavated from Goryeo period sites. Earthenware pottery was used for the storage of drinking water and food. Evidence of Goryeo earthenware used for food storage can be found in literature and at temple and other building sites as well as from the wrecks of trading ships discovered in the waters off of Mado. At the time, earthenware was used to store grain, fermented foods such as traditional Korean sauces (jang), salted and fermented seafood (jeotgal), kimchi, and alcohol. Earthenware vessels were used as measuring containers to verify a predetermined quantity. In all ages, including in the Goryeo period, earthenware has been made chiefly for practical use in diverse spaces. That is why the intended usage of such earthenware pottery matters more in a discussion of its identity than do its figurative qualities based on shape.