Northeast Asian History Network

Western Wall of the Entrance Passage - Spear

This is a detailed view of the spear depicted on the eastern wall of the entrance passage in Susahn-ri Tomb. Spears from the Three Kingdoms period were approximately 10 ft. (3 m) in length. A spear is divided into the tip (head) and pole (tail). A flat, hatchet-blade type of spearhead was used in addition to the traditional pointed type. A two-prong spearhead, also known as a bi-dent, was prevalent as well.
The spearhead seen in the image is an extremely sharp pointed type. Sharp, pointed spearheads resembling arrowheads were more common in the Koguryo era, unlike the more familiar trident spears used during the Joseon era. A colorful, fish-shaped flag can be seen just below the spearhead. These flags were used as decorations for flagstaffs during Goryeo and Joseon eras. This image is regarded as valuable evidence for understanding how these bright and colorful flags were used even during the Koguryo era as decorations for spears.