The beginning of the Bronze Age in the southern region of Korean peninsula is evidenced by a number of artifacts of Doldaemun pottery. They have drawn attention of many archaeologists, which led numerous discussions about its chronological study and c...
The beginning of the Bronze Age in the southern region of Korean peninsula is evidenced by a number of artifacts of Doldaemun pottery. They have drawn attention of many archaeologists, which led numerous discussions about its chronological study and classification. However, despite the significant implication of Doldaemun Pottery, which in fact represents the change from the Neolithic Age to the Bronze Age, previous studies have confined their scope within the commencement of the Bronze Age itself. They also postulated immigration from the northern region for the mechanism of this change, as the transition from the late Neolithic Age to the early Bronze Age is rather discontinuous. However, to better understand the immigration mechanism by analyzing archaeological data, assemblage should be set as the minimum level of unit in comparing the original residence and the new settlement. Therefore, this approach is widely adopted to develop the thesis on the formation of Doldaemun pottery of southern regions of Korea peninsula.
Chater2 is dedicated to the study of archeological sites of southern regions of Korea peninsula where the Doldaemun pottery was excavated. In chapter3, a new chronological study was performed based on what was covered in the previous chapter. In general, Doldaemun pottery has been symbolic relic that represents the early Bronze Age along with the dwellings installed with panseokbuyuiseok-fire site. However, as Doldaemun potteries are excavated along with early-stage plain coarse pottery, such as Garakdong style, Yeoksamdong style, and Humamri style pottery, and are excavated from the various types of dwellings, previous chronological study which classifies them into Misari cultural assemblage phase is not appropriate in explaining this aspect. To overcome this limitation, two actions were taken. Firstly, the new chronological study has been performed. Secondly, the area was divided into four regions, which are Han-river region, Kum-river region, Nakdong-river & Hyungsan-river region and Nam-river region.
The new chorological study shows two distinctive phases of transition of Doldaemun pottery and the dwelling. In phaseⅠ, which is foundation stage, i1a type- and i1b type-Doldaemun potteries were widely produced, and noticeably, they are excavated with the Neolithic Chulmun potteries which belong to phaseⅠ-1 and with various plain coarse potteries in phaseⅠ-2. Although the forms of Doldaemun potteries excavated from different regions show some minor differences, significant similarities are found in them. Doldaemun potteries of phaseⅡ, which are mostly zeolsang(節狀)-Doldaemun pottery and u-sang(乳狀)-Doldaemun pottery, are excavated with Garakdong style, Yeoksamdong style and Humamri style pottery.
Doldaemun pottery first emerged in southern regions of Korea peninsula back in B.C. 15~14, which was determined by using the absolute age dating methodology.
In chronological study, Doldaemun pottery and dwelling form of phaseⅠ are classified as the foundation stage of the southern region. With the start of the Bronze Age in southern region, Doldaemun pottery culture presents i1a type- and i1b type-Doldaemun pottery, rectangular/square dwellings installed with panseokbuyuiseok-fire site and combination of polished stone tools such as blades, axes, arrowheads and fish net weights. Up to date, they are found only in Han-river region and Nam-river region in phaseⅠ-1, but are spread to the alluviums of southern regions of Korea peninsula in phaseⅠ-2.
In chapter4, Doldaemun pottery cultures of the early Bronze Age and the late Neolithic Age are compared according to the set-relationship of dwelling, stone tools and pottery. The results show that those two cultures lack the continuity, which means the shift of the culture from one to the other was discontinuous.
As southern Doldaemun pottery culture was foreign origin, its class was traced by comparing it with the northern Doldaemun pottery culture. Artifacts from upper-middle region of Aprok River show the most similarities, after analyzing all the facts such as dwelling form, location of the sites, forms and patters of Doldaemun pottery, and the combination of the stone tools.
In this thesis, like the previous studies, immigration is postulated for the mechanism of the transition from the late Neolithic Age to the early Bronze Age. This is because the traits found in both the Doldaemun pottery of Aprok River and the locations of the sites are significantly identical to those of southern regions of the peninsula, which can be only explained through immigration.
Chulmun potteries excavated with Doldaemun potteries suggest that those immigrants from upper-middle Aprok River in phaseⅠ-1 had co-existed with the locals for certain period of time. However, in phaseⅠ-2, Doldaemun potteries started to spread out nationwide with no traits of the late Neolithic tradition. Assuming from this, the local culture seem to have been rapidly absorbed by the culture of immigrants.