This article is designed to reveal the characteristics of the ritual implements for the land-god from Youngnam region from the Three Kingdoms Period to Joseon Period and their changing patterns. Usually upon construction of houses and stupa the ritual for the land-god had been practiced to ward off evil spirits, to guard the residents from the unlucky unexpected threats, and to bless good lucks. To study such characteristics and their changing patterns in this article the ritual implements for the landgod from Youngnam region from the Three Kingdoms Period to Joseon Period have been categorized. Their location in buildings(Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ), the functions of the buildings (A, B, C), the remains from the ritual jars(a, b) have been criteria upon categorizing.
As a result the Hyeongsan River Basin, the Taewha River Basin, and the Eastern Coastal areas have diverse types of many ritual implements for the land-god over time from the Unified Silla Period to Goryeo Period. In contrast the upper basin of the Nakdong River have some examples of the ritual implements for the land-gods during the Goryeo Period and Joseon period. In the middle basin of the Nakdong River and its lower basin the Goryeo Period had witnessed some spread of the ritual implements for the land-god. In Namgang River Basin many examples of the ritual implements for the land-god dated from the Three Kingdoms Period to Joseon Period have been found as well.
As far as the ritual implements for the land-god from Youngnam region during the Unified Silla Period are concerned, they have been found at Gyeongju area. Their types are diverse. Lots of their occurrence and their high concentration rate at Gyeongju area is outstanding in comparison with other areas. But the Goryeo Period had witnessed decrease in the types of the ritual implements for the land-god. Along with this trend the ritual implements for the land-god seem to be diffused into neighbouring local regions. But the Joseon Period had witnessed the decrease in their types and occurrences in comparison with those of the Unified Silla Period. In addition the ritual implements for the land-god from Youngnam region had been buried by various social classes including ruling classes, ordinary people, and Buddhist temples during the Unified Silla Period.
During the Unified Silla Period eighteen types of the ritual implements for the land-god had been retrieved from Gyeongju area. So such a pattern implies that Gyeongju area might be a centre of the rituals for the land-god.
In many case ritual jars have been used as a container to enshrine votive items. Some ritual jars for worshipping the land-god, which had been excavated at Buddhist temple sites, have been found to enshrine iron objects, bronze items, beads and so on. Archaeological discoveries strongly suggest that not only the foundation of a new Buddhist audience hall including that of a stupa construction but also annual periodic occasions might witness the ritual votive implements for the land-god might. This pattern vividly shows the cultural processes in which the Buddhist temples during the Unified Silla Period had accepted the votive rituals for land-god to ward off evil spirits and protect the temples from the various evil threats, which must be non Buddhist elements.
It must be confessed that there are many limitations in data, analytical processes, and interpretational processes including logical leaps and faults, which must be my full responsibility.