Northeast Asian History Network

Eastern Wall of the Eastern Gallery - Procession – Spearmen 1

This is a detailed view of the spearmen depicted on the eastern gallery wall in Anak Tomb No. 3. Of the two lines of spearmen that appear in the procession, this group can be seen at the top outer line. Koguryo military was divided into infantry and cavalry. Infantry was further subdivided into light infantry and the heavily-armored heavy infantry. The spearmen in the image are heavy infantry wearing both armor and helmets. The crests of their helmets feature black feather decorations. Koguryo armor was categorized as Pangap (laminar armor) made of large plates and Chalgap (lamellar armor) made of small iron plates laced together. While the large-plate construction of Pangaps limited movement, Chalgaps provided the wearer with a great deal of mobility due to the nature of this armor’s design. Therefore, Chalgaps were primarily worn by mounted soldiers. Notably, the infantry in Anak Tomb No. 3 can be seen wearing this type of armor as well. The infantrymen are also wearing white, form-fitting trousers and long black boots that come up to their knees. The spears feature red tassels and hook-shaped blades that were used to pull down enemies from horses.
Of the seven spearmen in the image, the four in the front of the line are carrying bean-shaped iron shields, and the remaining spearmen are carrying wooden shields with pointed ends. Normally, these shields would be carried in the left hand. However, the spearmen in the image appear as if they have the shields tucked underneath their arms. Yet, this cannot be attributed to a lack of ability from the artist. The spearmen at the bottom of the mural can be seen properly carrying the shields in their left hands while holding spears with their right hands. During the Koguryo era, expressing intent was considered more important to the artist than accurate portrayal. In other words, the artist intended to portray the spearmen's shields on the outside of the procession as a way to safely protect the nobleman.