Prehistoric and protohistoric sociocultural development in the North Han River region of Korea
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Date
1997-03
Authors
Ro, Hyuk Jin
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
The primary purpose of this dissertation is to reconstruct sociocultural
development in the North Han River Valley in Korea during the prehistoric
and proto historic periods ( ca 6000 B .C.-A.D. 300). Based on theoretical
ideas about the close relationship between cultural behavior and the natural
environment as well as synthetical observation of archaeological data in the
North Han River Valley, I have proposed the following testable hypothesis in
regard to 'sociocultural development in the North Han River Valley : that its
unique ecosystem brought about a subsistence pattern unique to the region.
The North Han River Valley's specific geographical formation, connected with the Lower Han River Basin by way of the river system, brought it under the
crucial influence of the latter's more advanced cultural elements. The
circumscribed environment derived from the distinctively developed
geomophological formation of the North Han River Valley influenced
autochthonous sociocultural development in the region.
Enumerating the most basic factors, the affluent riverine resources of
the Valley enabled Chiilmun period inhabitants be heavily dependent on
riverine fishing supplemented by the hunting and gathering of wild vegetation.
Riverine fishing as well as hunting and gathering richly supplemented the
agrarian economy which became dominant in the Valley after the appearance
ofMumun people in later prehistoric times. Due to population saturation of
limited arable lands, Mumun agrarian people became increasingly
circumscribed and could not evolve into a state-level society. In
association with this factor, the geographical proximity of the Valley to the
Lower Han River inevitably brought it under the influence of advanced
cultures emerging in the Lower Han River Basin. This process, which began
in the later Mumun period, actually has continued to the present, passing
through the protohistoric State Formation period and Paekche kingdom.
Description
xvi, 341 p. : ill. A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries under the call number: KNIGHT GN855.K6 R6 1997
Keywords
Archaeology -- Korea -- North Han River Valley, Korea -- History -- To 935, North Han River Valley (Korea) -- Antiquities, Dolmens -- Korea, Tombs -- Korea, Pottery, Korean -- To 935, Tools, Prehistoric -- Korea