The inhabitants of Yongdong and Yongsu areas of Kangwon Province seem to had formed quite identical communities through the stages of the Paleolithic age, Neolithic age, and Bronze age. During the Iron age, however, some evidence of variation has been...
The inhabitants of Yongdong and Yongsu areas of Kangwon Province seem to had formed quite identical communities through the stages of the Paleolithic age, Neolithic age, and Bronze age. During the Iron age, however, some evidence of variation has been detected in the archaeology records of both dwelling and earthenwares. This variation may be considered, in my opinion, to be a unique cultural characteristic of the middle of the Korean peninsula (the Han River basin and Yongdong area). Though there are no striking differences in terms of the site location of the dwellings between Yongdong and Yongsu, the following has been discovered : Sand-dune regions by the seacoast were chosen as the location of dwellings in Yongdong area, while alluvial plains by the river were chosen in the Yongsu area. This difference of site location seems to have stemmed from the process of selection of more favorable area in terms of exploiting undeveloped natural resources.
Despite the difference of site location in the ruins of these regions, no conspicuous difference can be found in the types of earthenwares, irontools, and the floor-plans of the dwellings between Yongdong and Yongsu areas. This condition seems to have been already established during the period of the Mumun Pottery (Gongyul style) culture in the Bronze age, when irontools appeared not to have been widely used. In this period although people engaged in dry-field cultivation, they depended more on natural resources for food. They seem to subsist on resources by doing hunting, fishing and gathering. As time went on they became dependent on the agricultural.
The natural condition of the Tebaek Range(太白山脈) and undeveloped natural resources led to the division of Kangwon Province into Yongdong and Yongsu areas. According to various historical documents, the inhabitants in this district were referred to the Ye(濊) and/or Maek(貊), the former residing in the Yongdong area and the latter in the Yongsu. Though they were divided into two areas, no distinctive cultural differences are found in the forms of dwelling and earthenwares. The site location seems to be the only difference detected so far. Ye and Maek were not able to reach more complex socio-political units due to the limitations of natural resources. Besides they were politically intervened by the Three KingdomsG. e., Goguryo, Baekje, and Silla) and Gun Hyun(i. e., Lelang and Dae Bang) of the neighboring countries.