공산성 출토 漆皮갑옷은 백제 웅진성인 공주 공산성의 백제시대 저수시설 내에서 마갑-무기류-갑옷이 나란히 포개지듯 2세트가 매납된 후, 그 위에 100㎝ 정도 두께의 볏짚이 덮인 상태로 출토되었다. 저수시설의 상면에는 쌀, 조, 밤 등과 말뼈를 포함한 각종 유기물, 그리고 목기가 포함되어 있었으며, 그 위에 건물지 폐기층이 확인되었다. 따라서 마갑-무기류-갑옷으로 구성된 武裝具 2세트를 나란히 저수시설에 매납한 후 그 위를 덮어서 은닉하는 것과 같은 의도적인 행위는 儀禮의 가능성을 추론할 수 있는 고고학적 증거로 판단된다. 특히 칠피갑옷에서 명문이 확인되었는데, 명문은 갑옷을 제작한 이후 별도로 기록한 것이다. 칠피갑옷에서 현재까지 확인된 명문이 있는 소찰은 약 17점을 계량할 수 있다. 3㎝ 너비의 소찰이 겹쳐서 배치되는 것을 감안하여 1.5~2㎝ 정도가 밖으로 노출된다고 해도, 명문이 기록된 범위는 적어도 가로 약 36㎝×세로 7㎝ 정도이다. 또한 1개의 小札에 완전한 형태로 문자가 확인된 경우 6~7자가 縱書로 배치되는 점을 고려할 때, 6자씩만 計上해도 약 102자 이상의 글자로 구성된 長文임을 알 수 있다. 또한 칠피갑옷의 출토 정황상 명문의 위치는 身甲 상단의 표면으로 추론되는데, 결국 갑옷 표면의 한쪽 가슴 부분은 명문으로 가득 차 있었다고 볼 수 있다. 銘文의 전체 내용은 알 수 없으나, 갑옷과 연관된 敍事的인 기록을 남긴 것이라는 점을 살필 수 있다. 즉 갑옷 제작의 목적을 살필 수 있는 역사적 정황의 근거가 되는 ‘蓋州’라는 지명과 더불어 갑옷을 제작한 공간으로서의 官署名과 갑옷과 관련된 행위에 참여한 사람들의 官職과 人名, 갑옷을 둘러싼 행위와 관련된 날짜인 貞觀19년(645) 4월 21일 등을 검토하였다. 이를 통하여 백제가 당나라와의 관계에서 645년 갑옷을 만든 후 준비 과정과 행사 등의 전반적인 내용을 기록하여 15년 동안 공산성에 보관해오다가, 660년 7월 18일 의자왕이 당나라에 항복하려고 공주를 떠나기 전에 공산성 저수시설에 매납 했을 가능성을 추론하였다. 즉 갑옷의 제작→명문의 작성→갑옷의 매납은 모두 별개의 과정을 거친 행위로 이해하였다. 명문이 있는 칠피갑옷은 한반도에서 처음 출토된 중요한 유물이다. 따라서 향후 갑옷의 형태를 파악하기 위한 고증과 복원 연구가 필요하다. 그리고 칠피갑옷이 출토된 유적 현황과 명문에 대하여 정밀한 분석 등의 복합적인 노력을 통하여, 백제시대 공주 공산성에 칠피갑옷이 묻히게 된 역사적 정황을 포함한 다양한 연구가 이루어지기를 기대한다.
To the present time, the Lacquered Leather Armor excavated from Gongsan-seong(seong: castle) has been the focal point of the disputes on national identity based on the interpretation of inscription from early times that it is prudent to say that there has been no opportunity of systematic proof on the relics thereof. However, it is also true that it has been the time that required physical time in inevitable means. There is an extremely difficult work of archaelogocial conjunction toward the damaged metal scale on armor in the future, but those inscription data that can be found out as the subject of relics for conservation have mostly been confirmed. Therefore, separately from the archaeological restoration works on relics, the inscription data that have been the basis of controversy to this point is disclosed first in a way of obtaining assistance from the academic circle for interpretting Lacquered Leather Armor in the days to come. After burying two sets of horse armors-weapons-armors as folded side to side within the reservoir facility during the Baekje Era of Gongju Gongsan-seong that was referred to as Woongjin-seong of Baekje Kingdom, it was excavated in the condition of covering with the thatch bundles of approximately 100㎝ in thickness. On the upper part of the reservoir facility, there were various organic substances, including, rice, millet, chestnut and others as well as horse bones, and the wooden-wares, with the disposal layer of the building site on the top of it. Therefore, such an intended act of burying 2 military equipment sets consisting of horse armors-weapons-armors in the reservoir facility side-by-side, and cover the top as if they were concealed would be considered as an archaeological evidence to presume the possibility of ritual ceremony. In particular, a inscription was confirmed on the Lacquered Leather Armor and the inscription was separately recorded after the armor was manufactured. There are approximately 17 inscriptions confirmed from the Lacquered Leather Armor to this point. Considering the metal scale on armor with 3㎝ of width arranged in overlap, and if it is exposed for about 1.5~2㎝ to outside, the range of the inscriptions recorded about be around 36㎝ in width×7㎝ in length. In addition, in the event that characters in complete shape in a metal scale is confirmed, considering that 6~7 characters are arranged in writing, it is shown to be long writings consisting of approximately 102 letters or more even if it is assumed to be only 6 letters for each. In addition, under the circumstances of excavating the Lacquered Leather Armor, the position of inscription is presumed to be the upper part of the bodily armor surface and this is ultimately shown to have full of inscription for the chest part of the armor surface. The full contents of the inscription would not be known, but it is easily consider that it is the record in lyrics related to the armor. In other word, together with the area name of ‘Gaeju(蓋州)’ that would be basis of historic circumstance to contemplate the turning point of armor manufacturing, it has reviewed the name of government agency as the space of manufacturing the armor, title and name of those persons participated in activities related to the armor, and April 21, 645 (Jeonggwan 19) as the date related to the activities around the armor. Through this finding, it is possible to assume that Baekje Kingdom made the armor in 645 under the relationship with the Tand Dynasty and recorded the overall contents of preparatory process, event and others to keep the same in Gongsan-seong for 15 years, and before King Uija-wang left Gongju to surrender to the Tang Dynasty on July 18, 660, he could bury it in the reservoir facility of Gongsan-seong. In other word, the acts of manufacturing of armor→preparation of inscription→burial of armor was the process going through separate individual process. The Lacquered Leather Armor with inscriptions are important relics excavated for the first time in the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, there is a need of studies on historical verification and restoration in order to find out the type of the armor in the future. Furthermore, through the integrated endeavors of precise analysis and others with respect to the status of relics excavated with the Lacquered Leather Armor and inscriptions, it is expected to have various studies including the historic circumstances to excavatge the Lacquered Leather Armor from the Gongju Gongsan-seong during the Baekje Kingdom Era.