In central–western Korea, large-scale Chulmun settlements containing more than twenty dwellings emerged in substantial numbers between ca. 4000 and 3000 BCE. This period is associated with the geographic spread of Chulmun settlements and increasing ...
In central–western Korea, large-scale Chulmun settlements containing more than twenty dwellings emerged in substantial numbers between ca. 4000 and 3000 BCE. This period is associated with the geographic spread of Chulmun settlements and increasing evidence for millet cultivation. The emergence of such large settlements has therefore long been considered a key issue for understanding subsistence strategies and mobility during the Chulmun period. However, researchers continue to debate whether each large-scale settlement represents a single social unit or an aggregate formed by multiple social units, despite relying largely on the same types of evidence, namely radiocarbon dates and dwelling layouts. While palimpsest effects may be substantial in large-scale Chulmun settlements occupied by mobile hunter-gatherers, radiocarbon dates lack sufficient resolution to compare occupation spans between dwellings, and interpretations of dwelling layouts are often subjective. This study therefore focuses on pottery decorative patterns to evaluate whether large-scale settlements can be regarded as single social units or as the product of multiple social units.
Small-scale settlements, regarded archaeologically as the minimum social unit, are therefore used as a baseline for defining a single social unit in terms of pottery decorative practices. Assuming that pottery produced within the same social unit would display relatively similar decorative patterns, this study compares levels of pottery pattern variability between small- and large-scale settlements. If variability within a large settlement is not significantly greater than that observed in small settlements, the site is interpreted as representing a single social unit. Conversely, significantly higher variability suggests the presence of multiple social units. Several diversity indices were applied to quantify pottery pattern variation, and the spatial distribution of decorative motifs across dwellings was also examined.
The results indicate that sites such as Incheon Sammokdo III, Ansan Singil-dong, Siheung Neunggok-dong, Hwaseong Seokgyo-ri, Gimpo Sinan-ri, and Paju Daeneung-ri exhibit variability comparable to that of small settlements, supporting their interpretation as single social units. In contrast, Seoul Amsa-dong and Incheon Unseo-dong I show significantly greater variability, with motifs shared within separate dwelling clusters rather than uniformly across the site, suggesting that these settlements were formed by multiple social units.
These findings demonstrate that pottery decorative patterns provide more effective evidence for identifying social units in terms of pottery decorative practices than dwelling layout alone, which has traditionally been used for settlement classification. Rather than treating all large-scale settlements as either unified villages or multi-group aggregates, this study highlights diverse forms of social organization within Chulmun large settlements. Such variability offers important insights into broader discussions of how large-scale settlements emerged and developed.