This study aims to reconstruct hypothetically the process of material cultural change in the Han River basin during the Three Kingdoms period by utilizing radiocarbon dating. Previous research has suggested that Baekje-style material culture may have ...
This study aims to reconstruct hypothetically the process of material cultural change in the Han River basin during the Three Kingdoms period by utilizing radiocarbon dating. Previous research has suggested that Baekje-style material culture may have persisted in this region even after 475 CE; however, due to chronological uncertainties, its continuity and character have remained difficult to verify. As an alternative approach, this study employs radiocarbon dating to distinguish between the Goguryeo and Silla occupation phases and to examine the spatial and chronological patterns of material culture in each period.
The analysis indicates that Baekje-style material culture continued for a certain period in the Han River basin after 475 CE. During the Goguryeo occupation phase, local Baekje traditions in dwelling structures and pottery persisted, while the influence of Goguryeo material culture remained minimal. In contrast, after Silla’s expansion into the region, Silla-style material culture spread gradually rather than through abrupt replacement, suggesting a process of progressive adoption by local communities. The diffusion of Silla material culture was likely facilitated through frequent interactions between immigrant Silla groups and indigenous Baekje inhabitants, particularly within exchange networks that provided the structural basis for cultural transmission in the region.