Martin T Bale | Yale University (original) (raw)
Papers by Martin T Bale
Theories that attempt to explain surplus in the context of storage in emergent complex societies ... more Theories that attempt to explain surplus in the context of storage in emergent complex societies are critically examined. This study uses data from the Middle Mumun Period of the Korean peninsula, c. 850–550 BC. Archaeologists often make overly simplistic associations between surplus, storage, and elites. Particularly problematic are the assumptions that excess grains were necessa- rily produced regularly, and that elites had direct influence in the allocation of surplus. Direct evidence for the assumption that centralized storage and sur- plus existed and was the prerogative of elite actors is lacking with the excep- tion of central-place settlements in the Mumun, even when one considers the production of a normal surplus. However, correlates of emergent complex society are found at a number of sites. I find that, while some evidence that elite actors appropriated surplus is found in two large settlements, in the majority of cases agriculturalists were producing ‘normal’ surpluses in support of their own subsistence.
The study of household remains not only provides insight into a social unit that is fundamental t... more The study of household remains not only provides insight into a social unit that is fundamental to all sedentary societies, it also elucidates the role of households in effecting broader social change. This paper examines Incipient Mumun to Middle Mumun period (c. 1500– 400 bc) households in South Korea during a time in which social inequality developed. Two settlements, Pyeonggeo-dong and Baekseok-dong, are used as case studies of changes in household space and place. In the Incipient Mumun to Early Mumun period, households were organized as multifamily units living together in large, rectangular dwellings. Segmen-tation of space increased by the Middle Mumun period, with households organized into smaller, single-family structures. This spatial transformation contributed to greater competition among households and increased complexity overall. It also helped create a sociopoliti-cal environment that unintentionally resulted in the emergence of incipient elites at larger Middle Mumun settlements.
Archaeology and Modern Society - the 39th National Conference of the Korean Archaeology Society, Nov 2015
In this paper I characterize a number of problems with the current state of salvage/emergency arc... more In this paper I characterize a number of problems with the current state of salvage/emergency archaeological excavations in Korea. The main problem is that field archaeology has no explicit scholarly and/or academic orientation. After a period of expansion and numerous successes, field archaeology is now plagued by a number of issues related to administrative and infrastructural challenges, cultural and educational issues, the low value placed on archaeological heritage by Koreans in general, and the poor economy that has persisted since 2008. I suggest some ways in which the salvage/emergency archaeology may overcome these problems.
![Research paper thumbnail of 아날學派, 解釋學的 考古學, 그리고 靑銅器時代 磨製石劍 硏究 [The Annales School, Interpretive Archaeology, and the Study of Polished Groundstone Daggers of the Korean Mumun Period]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/37352788/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](牛行 李相吉 敎授 追慕論文集 [Collected Papers in Honour of Professor Lee Sang Kil], 2014
Gyeongnam Review [慶南硏究], Jun 2014
[In ENGLISH and KOREAN] In this paper I investigate long-term processual and contextual elements ... more [In ENGLISH and KOREAN] In this paper I investigate long-term processual and contextual elements of material culture to understand changes in the political and ceremonial landscapes of prehistoric transegalitarian and incipiently socio-politically complex societies. The production and distribution of groundstone daggers and other prestige artefacts occurred as part of a nascent political economy in many regions of the Korean peninsula in parts of the Early and Middle Mumun Period, c. 1300-550 BC. I use a perspective that incorporates
several interconnected theoretical models to explore the interplay of culture change, the materialisation of ideology, and the construction of meaning of groundstone daggers in prehistoric Korea. Groundstone daggers were a key part of the mortuary complex over the longue durée, and I argue that aggrandising elite actors altered their meaning in the name of the accumulation of social capital and used the production and distribution of the artefacts to build political power by attracting and maintaining supporters between 700 and 550 BC.
이 논문에서 필자는 선사시대의 초평등주의와 초기 사회, 정치적 복합사회의 정치적·의례적 경관에서의 변화를 이해하기 위하여 물질문화에 대한 장기간의 과정적, 후기 과정적인 양상들에 대해서 살펴보았다. 한반도 무문토기시대 전기와 중기(1300-550 BC)에는 여러 지역에서 초기 정치경제의 일부로서 마제석검을 비롯한 위세품의 생산과 분배가 이루어졌다. 필자는 한반도 선사시대의 문화 변천, 이데올로기의 실현, 그리고 마제석검의 의미 구축과 관련한 상호작용을 연구하는데 있어서 몇가지 상호 이론적 모델을 통합한 견해를 적용하였다. 마제석검은 오랜 기간 동안 무덤 부장품의 중요한 요소였다. 필자는 무문토기시대 중기(700-550 BC)에 엘리트가 마제석검의 의미를 사회적 자본의 축적이라는 이름으로 그 의미를 확대하고, 정치적 권력을 구축하기 위해 이러한 수공업품의 생산과 분배를 이용하였다는 것을 논의하였다.
![Research paper thumbnail of 경제만이 아니다 —무문시대 전기에서 중기로의 이행에 대한 실험적・비판적 검토 [Not the Economy: A Pilot Study of the Early to Middle Mumun Period Transition in Korea]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/35478263/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](New Horizons in Korean Archaeology - the 38th National Conference of the Korean Archaeology Society, Nov 2014
Gyeongnam Review [慶南硏究], 2009
In the late Bronze Age, small-sized, square or round shape houses emerged along with large-scale ... more In the late Bronze Age, small-sized, square or round shape houses emerged along with large-scale settlements involving the ditch-and-palisades, tombs, and agricultural areas. In addition, intensive agriculture and social differences appeared centering on large scale communities in several regions. Daepyeong was the centre of a two to three-tier settlement system in the Nam-Gyeongho-gang River Basin that was composed of six settlements.
In consideration of a number of archaeological contexts, Daepyeong society was underpinned by traditions of group-oriented society. Also, It is said that as production activities including manual industry were concentrated, the public rituals were used by elites as a strategy to gain authority and privileges. Variability in the size and kind of dry-fields is apparent in Daepyong. The irregularity and lack of uniformity in the Daepyeong dry-fields are more consistent with a model in which planning and implementation of intensive agriculture resulted from thousands of decisions of individual households. If we consider all the lines of evidence germane to intensive agriculture, bottom-up trends define the building, use, and maintenance of the dry-fields. Yet, some trends are more in line with top-down processes. Evidence that a managerial authority such as a chief controlled or planned or could have owned the fields and the harvested grains, most of the dry-fields in Daepyeong were not built close to the area where elite resided: the ditch-and-palisade area. A significant amount of storage capacity in the form of pits, large-capacity pottery, and raised-floor buildings is found in the ditch-and palisade area of Okbang.
In this paper we address the development of craft production in the Mumun Pottery Period (c. 1500... more In this paper we address the development of craft production in the Mumun Pottery Period (c. 1500-300 B.C.) of South-central Korea. Evidence of specialised production of red-burnished pottery, groundstone daggers, greenstone ornaments, and bronze objects began soon after processes that indicate the intensification of agricultural production. Specialised production appears to have developed as an economic supplement to agricultural production c. 850-700 B.C. At that time, leaders at settlements such as Daepyeong emphasised a mix of corporate and network strategies of competition. However, at that time social differences between individuals in South-central Korea were de-emphasised and the production and consumption of prestige artifacts was somewhat limited to the large settlement of Daepyeong. Then after 700 B.C., evidence suggests that full-time leaders used the production and distribution of prestige craft objects to some degree in order to gain power and influence for themselves and their supporters.
CLICK ON THE HARVARD.EDU LINK. THIS IS AN INTERNET-ONLY PUBLICATION, 2007
Arctic Anthropology, Jan 1, 2002
This paper addresses the development of craft production in the Mumun Pottery Period (c. 1500 to ... more This paper addresses the development of craft production in the Mumun Pottery Period (c. 1500 to 300 B.C.) of south-central Korea. Specialized craft production of greenstone ornaments, groundstone daggers, red-burnished pottery, and bronze objects was coeval with the onset of intensive agriculture. We examine the nature of this production in the settlement of Daepyeong, where social differentiation increased diachronically, notably in the Late Middle Mumun (700–550 B.C.). Specialized craft production appears to have originated as a supplement to intensive agriculture in the Early Middle Mumun (850–700 B.C.), when a mix of corporate and network strategies of competition between leaders existed but social differences between community members was de-emphasized and consumption of prestige artifacts was limited. Evidence suggests that full-time leaders used the production and distribution of greenstone ornaments and long groundstone daggers in an incipient network strategy to gain power for themselves and their supporters in the Late Middle Mumun.
P. Bellwood, D. Bowdery, I. Glover, et al, Jan 1, 2001
古文化 第 58 輯, 137~ 152 쪽 (총 16 쪽), Jan 1, 2001
Book Reviews by Martin T Bale
Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 2018
It is a rare and momentous occasion when such a comprehensive and well researched monograph abou... more It is a rare and momentous occasion when such a comprehensive and well researched
monograph about the archaeology and history of an ancient state of Northeast Asia—in this case, Puyo˘—appears in print. Located in central Jilin Province, China, Puyo˘ formed during a time that spans late pre-history (c. third century B.C.) and developed during the protohistorical period of Northeast Asia, persisting, in one form or another, until the late
fifth century A.D. Although it was an important kingdom in Northeast Asian and Korean historiography, it left no records of its own. Puyo˘ is mentioned briefly in many publications about Korean archaeology and history, however, because of its pivotal role in the claims of legitimacy of the so-called successor states of Koguryo˘, Paekche, and even Palhae.
Journal of Asian Studies, 2017
"It is rare when an edited volume on early Korea appears that is so topically comprehensive and i... more "It is rare when an edited volume on early Korea appears that is so topically comprehensive and impressively detailed, and not to mention on the topic of the ancient
kingdom of Koguryo˘ (trad. 37 BCE to 668 CE). Scholarship on Koguryo˘ has been
divided until now along academic field, modern nation-state, language, and political
lines. However, in The History and Archaeology of the Koguryo˘ Kingdom, the latest
volume of the Early Korea Project at Harvard, editor and project director Mark Byington
has shown us in a meaningful way the critical importance of the early history and archaeology of Korea and adjacent regions. This is a challenging task given the long, complex history of Koguryo˘ and the fact that its territory spread over three modern nation-states."
The Journal of Korean Studies, 2015
Publications on early Korea and/or archaeology are critical to Korean Studies because the field i... more Publications on early Korea and/or archaeology are critical to Korean Studies because the field is so skewed toward modern and contemporary scholarly endeavors. Yet Pan’gudae (romanized as Bangudae in the book), a petroglyphic archaeological site that is at once breathtakingly impressive as it is politically controversial, should be of interest to all Koreanists and archaeologists for its truly ancient depictions of animals, people, and lifeways dating back between two thousand and four thousand years.
Theories that attempt to explain surplus in the context of storage in emergent complex societies ... more Theories that attempt to explain surplus in the context of storage in emergent complex societies are critically examined. This study uses data from the Middle Mumun Period of the Korean peninsula, c. 850–550 BC. Archaeologists often make overly simplistic associations between surplus, storage, and elites. Particularly problematic are the assumptions that excess grains were necessa- rily produced regularly, and that elites had direct influence in the allocation of surplus. Direct evidence for the assumption that centralized storage and sur- plus existed and was the prerogative of elite actors is lacking with the excep- tion of central-place settlements in the Mumun, even when one considers the production of a normal surplus. However, correlates of emergent complex society are found at a number of sites. I find that, while some evidence that elite actors appropriated surplus is found in two large settlements, in the majority of cases agriculturalists were producing ‘normal’ surpluses in support of their own subsistence.
The study of household remains not only provides insight into a social unit that is fundamental t... more The study of household remains not only provides insight into a social unit that is fundamental to all sedentary societies, it also elucidates the role of households in effecting broader social change. This paper examines Incipient Mumun to Middle Mumun period (c. 1500– 400 bc) households in South Korea during a time in which social inequality developed. Two settlements, Pyeonggeo-dong and Baekseok-dong, are used as case studies of changes in household space and place. In the Incipient Mumun to Early Mumun period, households were organized as multifamily units living together in large, rectangular dwellings. Segmen-tation of space increased by the Middle Mumun period, with households organized into smaller, single-family structures. This spatial transformation contributed to greater competition among households and increased complexity overall. It also helped create a sociopoliti-cal environment that unintentionally resulted in the emergence of incipient elites at larger Middle Mumun settlements.
Archaeology and Modern Society - the 39th National Conference of the Korean Archaeology Society, Nov 2015
In this paper I characterize a number of problems with the current state of salvage/emergency arc... more In this paper I characterize a number of problems with the current state of salvage/emergency archaeological excavations in Korea. The main problem is that field archaeology has no explicit scholarly and/or academic orientation. After a period of expansion and numerous successes, field archaeology is now plagued by a number of issues related to administrative and infrastructural challenges, cultural and educational issues, the low value placed on archaeological heritage by Koreans in general, and the poor economy that has persisted since 2008. I suggest some ways in which the salvage/emergency archaeology may overcome these problems.
牛行 李相吉 敎授 追慕論文集 [Collected Papers in Honour of Professor Lee Sang Kil], 2014
Gyeongnam Review [慶南硏究], Jun 2014
[In ENGLISH and KOREAN] In this paper I investigate long-term processual and contextual elements ... more [In ENGLISH and KOREAN] In this paper I investigate long-term processual and contextual elements of material culture to understand changes in the political and ceremonial landscapes of prehistoric transegalitarian and incipiently socio-politically complex societies. The production and distribution of groundstone daggers and other prestige artefacts occurred as part of a nascent political economy in many regions of the Korean peninsula in parts of the Early and Middle Mumun Period, c. 1300-550 BC. I use a perspective that incorporates
several interconnected theoretical models to explore the interplay of culture change, the materialisation of ideology, and the construction of meaning of groundstone daggers in prehistoric Korea. Groundstone daggers were a key part of the mortuary complex over the longue durée, and I argue that aggrandising elite actors altered their meaning in the name of the accumulation of social capital and used the production and distribution of the artefacts to build political power by attracting and maintaining supporters between 700 and 550 BC.
이 논문에서 필자는 선사시대의 초평등주의와 초기 사회, 정치적 복합사회의 정치적·의례적 경관에서의 변화를 이해하기 위하여 물질문화에 대한 장기간의 과정적, 후기 과정적인 양상들에 대해서 살펴보았다. 한반도 무문토기시대 전기와 중기(1300-550 BC)에는 여러 지역에서 초기 정치경제의 일부로서 마제석검을 비롯한 위세품의 생산과 분배가 이루어졌다. 필자는 한반도 선사시대의 문화 변천, 이데올로기의 실현, 그리고 마제석검의 의미 구축과 관련한 상호작용을 연구하는데 있어서 몇가지 상호 이론적 모델을 통합한 견해를 적용하였다. 마제석검은 오랜 기간 동안 무덤 부장품의 중요한 요소였다. 필자는 무문토기시대 중기(700-550 BC)에 엘리트가 마제석검의 의미를 사회적 자본의 축적이라는 이름으로 그 의미를 확대하고, 정치적 권력을 구축하기 위해 이러한 수공업품의 생산과 분배를 이용하였다는 것을 논의하였다.
New Horizons in Korean Archaeology - the 38th National Conference of the Korean Archaeology Society, Nov 2014
Gyeongnam Review [慶南硏究], 2009
In the late Bronze Age, small-sized, square or round shape houses emerged along with large-scale ... more In the late Bronze Age, small-sized, square or round shape houses emerged along with large-scale settlements involving the ditch-and-palisades, tombs, and agricultural areas. In addition, intensive agriculture and social differences appeared centering on large scale communities in several regions. Daepyeong was the centre of a two to three-tier settlement system in the Nam-Gyeongho-gang River Basin that was composed of six settlements.
In consideration of a number of archaeological contexts, Daepyeong society was underpinned by traditions of group-oriented society. Also, It is said that as production activities including manual industry were concentrated, the public rituals were used by elites as a strategy to gain authority and privileges. Variability in the size and kind of dry-fields is apparent in Daepyong. The irregularity and lack of uniformity in the Daepyeong dry-fields are more consistent with a model in which planning and implementation of intensive agriculture resulted from thousands of decisions of individual households. If we consider all the lines of evidence germane to intensive agriculture, bottom-up trends define the building, use, and maintenance of the dry-fields. Yet, some trends are more in line with top-down processes. Evidence that a managerial authority such as a chief controlled or planned or could have owned the fields and the harvested grains, most of the dry-fields in Daepyeong were not built close to the area where elite resided: the ditch-and-palisade area. A significant amount of storage capacity in the form of pits, large-capacity pottery, and raised-floor buildings is found in the ditch-and palisade area of Okbang.
In this paper we address the development of craft production in the Mumun Pottery Period (c. 1500... more In this paper we address the development of craft production in the Mumun Pottery Period (c. 1500-300 B.C.) of South-central Korea. Evidence of specialised production of red-burnished pottery, groundstone daggers, greenstone ornaments, and bronze objects began soon after processes that indicate the intensification of agricultural production. Specialised production appears to have developed as an economic supplement to agricultural production c. 850-700 B.C. At that time, leaders at settlements such as Daepyeong emphasised a mix of corporate and network strategies of competition. However, at that time social differences between individuals in South-central Korea were de-emphasised and the production and consumption of prestige artifacts was somewhat limited to the large settlement of Daepyeong. Then after 700 B.C., evidence suggests that full-time leaders used the production and distribution of prestige craft objects to some degree in order to gain power and influence for themselves and their supporters.
CLICK ON THE HARVARD.EDU LINK. THIS IS AN INTERNET-ONLY PUBLICATION, 2007
Arctic Anthropology, Jan 1, 2002
This paper addresses the development of craft production in the Mumun Pottery Period (c. 1500 to ... more This paper addresses the development of craft production in the Mumun Pottery Period (c. 1500 to 300 B.C.) of south-central Korea. Specialized craft production of greenstone ornaments, groundstone daggers, red-burnished pottery, and bronze objects was coeval with the onset of intensive agriculture. We examine the nature of this production in the settlement of Daepyeong, where social differentiation increased diachronically, notably in the Late Middle Mumun (700–550 B.C.). Specialized craft production appears to have originated as a supplement to intensive agriculture in the Early Middle Mumun (850–700 B.C.), when a mix of corporate and network strategies of competition between leaders existed but social differences between community members was de-emphasized and consumption of prestige artifacts was limited. Evidence suggests that full-time leaders used the production and distribution of greenstone ornaments and long groundstone daggers in an incipient network strategy to gain power for themselves and their supporters in the Late Middle Mumun.
P. Bellwood, D. Bowdery, I. Glover, et al, Jan 1, 2001
古文化 第 58 輯, 137~ 152 쪽 (총 16 쪽), Jan 1, 2001
Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 2018
It is a rare and momentous occasion when such a comprehensive and well researched monograph abou... more It is a rare and momentous occasion when such a comprehensive and well researched
monograph about the archaeology and history of an ancient state of Northeast Asia—in this case, Puyo˘—appears in print. Located in central Jilin Province, China, Puyo˘ formed during a time that spans late pre-history (c. third century B.C.) and developed during the protohistorical period of Northeast Asia, persisting, in one form or another, until the late
fifth century A.D. Although it was an important kingdom in Northeast Asian and Korean historiography, it left no records of its own. Puyo˘ is mentioned briefly in many publications about Korean archaeology and history, however, because of its pivotal role in the claims of legitimacy of the so-called successor states of Koguryo˘, Paekche, and even Palhae.
Journal of Asian Studies, 2017
"It is rare when an edited volume on early Korea appears that is so topically comprehensive and i... more "It is rare when an edited volume on early Korea appears that is so topically comprehensive and impressively detailed, and not to mention on the topic of the ancient
kingdom of Koguryo˘ (trad. 37 BCE to 668 CE). Scholarship on Koguryo˘ has been
divided until now along academic field, modern nation-state, language, and political
lines. However, in The History and Archaeology of the Koguryo˘ Kingdom, the latest
volume of the Early Korea Project at Harvard, editor and project director Mark Byington
has shown us in a meaningful way the critical importance of the early history and archaeology of Korea and adjacent regions. This is a challenging task given the long, complex history of Koguryo˘ and the fact that its territory spread over three modern nation-states."
The Journal of Korean Studies, 2015
Publications on early Korea and/or archaeology are critical to Korean Studies because the field i... more Publications on early Korea and/or archaeology are critical to Korean Studies because the field is so skewed toward modern and contemporary scholarly endeavors. Yet Pan’gudae (romanized as Bangudae in the book), a petroglyphic archaeological site that is at once breathtakingly impressive as it is politically controversial, should be of interest to all Koreanists and archaeologists for its truly ancient depictions of animals, people, and lifeways dating back between two thousand and four thousand years.
Dissertation Reviews, 2015
Martin T. Bale's review of 'Keyhole-shaped Tombs and Unspoken Frontiers: Exploring the Borderland... more Martin T. Bale's review of 'Keyhole-shaped Tombs and Unspoken Frontiers: Exploring the Borderlands of Early Korean-Japanese Relations in the 5th-6th Centuries', by Dennis Hyun-Seung Lee (UCLA).
* There is no paper, please click on the link above to see the review in the only place it exists, Dissertation Reviews online.
Storage is an important part of the background in many archaeological studies of the origins of e... more Storage is an important part of the background in many archaeological studies of the origins of early complex societies. Yet, a problem with many of these studies of formation and change in complex societies is that the social significance of storage is assumed rather than demonstrated. In this dissertation, I examine the practice of storage in three regions of prehistoric Korea and its relationship with socio-political structural changes. I analyze the distribution of storage artifacts and features such as pits, large-capacity pottery, and raised-floor structures in the context of their spatial relationships with other archaeological features and elite precincts at the household and settlement levels. The archaeological features used for storage in the Mumun Pottery Period (3390-2290 calibrated years B.P.) changed in form diachronically and show that underground pit storage remained constant during the period of study and that clandestine storage was not completely replaced by above-ground visible storage. Elite actors seem to have had some influence on the nature of storage in at least two central settlements, Daepyeong I and II and Songguk-ri, but appear to have been unable to completely control stored agricultural surplus in the two settlements and had little control over the surrounding areas.
Reconsidering Early Korean History Through Archaeology, consists of six scholarly works by specia... more Reconsidering Early Korean History Through Archaeology, consists of six scholarly works by specialists active in these fields. Three studies focus on the topic of recent advances in historical archaeology on the Korean peninsula and adjacent regions and how this is changing the ways historians understand the history of the earliest states on the peninsula. Another study surveys the origins and development of ceramic traditions in Korea based on recently recovered archaeological data. Finally, two studies discuss the practice of heritage management in Korea, focusing on rescue archaeology and heritage protection.
In this presentation I examine some of the more spectacular prehistoric archaeological finds in K... more In this presentation I examine some of the more spectacular prehistoric archaeological finds in Korea over the last 15 years from the perspective of the non-archaeologist.
The concept of storage lurks in the background of archaeological studies on the origins of early ... more The concept of storage lurks in the background of archaeological studies on the origins of early complex societies. However, a problem with many studies of formation and change in societies is that the significance of storage is assumed rather than demonstrated. In this talk, the practice of storage in prehistoric Korea and its relationship with structural changes of a socio-political nature are reviewed. The archaeological features of the storage landscape in the Mumun Pottery Period (c. 1500-300 BC) changed in form diachronically and demonstrate that household storage remained constant during the period, and that it was not completely replaced by extra-household storage. Elite actors seem to have had some influence on the nature of storage in at least two central-place settlements, but appear to have been unable to completely control stored agricultural surplus there, and had little control over the surrounding areas. This shows that the typical concept of staple finance cannot be invoked to describe how Mumun societies became incipiently complex. Similarly, previous studies suggest that wealth finance is problematic to characterize formative complexity in the Mumun. This talk concludes with the assessment of alternative explanations of social change in order to understand how and why the Mumun became complex.
An examination of material cultural elements of political economy can enable us to understand cha... more An examination of material cultural elements of political economy can enable us to understand changes in the transformation of political and ritual landscapes in the southern Korean Peninsula and northern Kyushu in the transition from transegalitarian to incipiently socio-politically complex societies. The production and distribution of polished groundstone daggers and other prestige artefacts occurred as part of a nascent political economy in the Korean Mumun Period, c. 1500-300 BC, and in the Early Yayoi of Kyushu, c. 800/700-300 BC. I use several interconnected theoretical models to explore the interplay of exchange, culture change, and the materialisation of ideology in the construction of the meaning of groundstone daggers. The objects were a key part of mortuary culture for a millennium, and I argue that their meaning changed diachronically according to changes in local and regional social scales. In particular, competing elite actors altered their meaning in the name of the accumulation of social capital and used the production and distribution of the artefacts to build political power by attracting and maintaining supporters between 850 and 550 BC.
Recent archaeological results are considered in light of current models of social evolution, and ... more Recent archaeological results are considered in light of current models of social evolution, and new interpretations are offered on the 1800-year period leading up to the formation of states in the Korean Peninsula, circa A.D. 300/400. Tradtional models depend on using external influences such as the Lelang Commandery to explain the development of state. However, the results of excavations conducted in the last 15 years call into question the state formation models that date to the 1970s and 1980s, which in many ways still prevail in archaeology outside of Korea. Interpretations of Korean data from burials, settlements, households, and political economy now provide a richer systematic explanation of the shifting patterns of leadership and political developments as network strategies took hold in chiefdoms between the 1st and 4th centuries A.D.
In this paper I assess theoretical models of social change and the organization of storage practi... more In this paper I assess theoretical models of social change and the organization of storage practices in early complex societies, especially those with intensive agriculture. I examine storage in Mumun Korea (c. 1500-300 BC) in comparison with specific cases worldwide. Models that address the top-down/bottom-up dichotomy or underground-to-aboveground scheme are over-simplistic and in need of a more fine-grained approach. I suggest that looking at storage within the framework of the social organization of agriculture is key to understanding changes in storage practices and society. Additionally, recognition of ‘islands of complexity’, i.e. the role of central-place settlements in incipient complex societies, is important to understanding the diversity of storage strategies practiced at any given time.
In this paper I investigate long-term and contextual elements of material culture, specifically p... more In this paper I investigate long-term and contextual elements of material culture, specifically polished groundstone daggers, to understand changes in the political and ceremonial landscapes of prehistoric transegalitarian and incipiently ranked societies. The production and distribution of groundstone daggers and other prestige artifacts was part of a nascent political economy in many regions of the Korean peninsula in the Early and Middle Mumun Period, c. 1300-550 BC. I use a perspective that incorporates several interconnected theoretical models to explore the interplay of culture change, the materialization of ideology, and the construction of meaning of groundstone daggers in prehistoric Korea. Groundstone daggers were a key part of the mortuary complex over the longue durée, and I argue that aggrandizing elite actors altered their meaning and used the production and distribution of the objects to build political power through attracting and maintaining of supporters between 700 and 550 B.C.
In this paper I address the problem of the organization of early intensive agriculture as either ... more In this paper I address the problem of the organization of early intensive agriculture as either a bottom-up, emergent process or a top-down, centralised process. I examine dry-field features and storage at a number of sites including Daepyeong, a central-place settlement in South-central Korea of the Mumun Pottery Period (c. 1500-300 BC). Field morphology is somewhat irregular and evidence of long-term maintenance and rebuilding shows the haphazard nature of early intensive agriculture and the agency of individual farmers as opposed to organization and control by elite actors. Top-down patterns are indicated by evidence that a significant amount of storage capacity, i.e. large-capacity pottery, pit features, and raised-floor granaries, were located inside or in the immediate vicinity of elites areas in the ditch-and-palisade precinct at Daepyeong. Thus elite actors may have had the ability to manipulate a part of the surplus, likely for commensal and ceremonial purposes.
Storage is an important but problematic part of the background in a number archaeological studies... more Storage is an important but problematic part of the background in a number archaeological studies on the origins of incipient socio-political complexity because the social significance and role of storage is often assumed rather than demonstrated. I examine the practice of storage in three regions of prehistoric Korea and its relationship with changes in the structure of socio-political complexity. I analyze the distribution of storage artifacts and features such as pits, large-capacity pottery, and raised-floor structures in the context of their spatial relationships with other archaeological features and elite precincts at the micro (household) and macro (settlement, region) levels.
Archaeological artifacts and features used in storage strategies in the Mumun Period (2903-2450 calibrated years B.P.) changed in form and number over time. Underground pit storage was consistently present during the period and clandestine storage was not completely replaced by above-ground visible storage. Elite actors had some influence on storage in two central settlements but appear to have been unable to exert much control of stored agricultural surplus at the micro or macro levels. These results indicate the persistence of bottom-up organizational strategies of agriculture despite the appearance of some socio-politically complex correlates of an incipient nature in Mumun society.
We consider recent archaeological results in light of current models of social evolution, and off... more We consider recent archaeological results in light of current models of social evolution, and offer new interpretations on the 600-year period leading up to the formation of states in the Korean Peninsula in the 4th century A.D. Current models depend on using external influences such as the Lelang Commandery to explain the development of state. However, the results of excavations conducted in the last 10 years call into question the state formation models that date to the 1970s and 1980s. Interpretations of Korean data from burials and settlements now provide a richer systematic explanation of the shifting patterns of leadership and political developments as network strategies took hold in chiefdoms between the 1st and 4th centuries A.D.
Key words: archaeology, Korea, state formation, chiefdoms, burials, settlements, proto-historic period.
In this paper I review data from 24 settlements in Southeast Korea dated to the Mumun Pottery Per... more In this paper I review data from 24 settlements in Southeast Korea dated to the Mumun Pottery Period (c. 1500–300 B.C.), the time when the first agricultural societies emerged. A settlement hierarchy of large and small settlements formed on the Middle Taehwa River c. 900-700 B.C. while wet-field agriculture and ditch-enclosed residential precincts appeared. The labour and organization involved in the construction and maintenance rice paddies and extensive ditches implies the presence of leaders. Large pit-houses at some important settlements were placed in the highest part of the village at the onset of wet-field rice agriculture, but most houses lack prestige artifacts. After 700 B.C. ditch-enclosed settlements were eventually abandoned and populations reorganized in small hamlets that appeared on the Dongcheon River. Post 700 B.C. changes were due in part to geographical isolation and difficulty in maintaining long-distance trade and cultural contact with incipient chiefdoms in other regions of Korea.
Department of Archaeology and Art History, Chungbuk National University, spring 2015. This is a ... more Department of Archaeology and Art History, Chungbuk National University, spring 2015.
This is a third- and fourth-year course that deals with Korean prehistory in a thematic and problem-oriented way. Course planned, taught, and administered entirely in Korean language.
Department of Archaeology and Art History, Chungbuk National University, spring 2015 This is a s... more Department of Archaeology and Art History, Chungbuk National University, spring 2015
This is a survey course and introduction to the prehistory and archaeology of Korea from the Palaeolithic to the beginning of the Early Iron Age (c. 700,000 to 300 B.C.). Course planned, taught, and administered entirely in Korean language.
Kyungpook National University, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology (undergraduate seminar ... more Kyungpook National University, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology (undergraduate seminar taught in Korean language), Spring 2015.
In this course we review recent data on aspects of prehistoric and early historic world civilisations while studying socio-political evolution and the theoretical ideas of Kent V. Flannery and the so-called 'Michigan school'. Each class begins with the socio-political evolution of one area of the world and ends with a student lead discussion of the theoretical ideas in a publication by Flannery. Students write midterm and final exams, write and submit journal entries, translate Flannery, and discuss it in class. Course planned, taught, and administered entirely in Korean language
Kyungpook National University, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology (graduate seminar taugh... more Kyungpook National University, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology (graduate seminar taught in Korean language), Autumn 2014. Course planned, taught, and administered entirely in Korean language.
Chungbuk National University Department of Archaeology and Ancient Art History (undergraduate cou... more Chungbuk National University Department of Archaeology and Ancient Art History (undergraduate course taught in Korean language), Autumn 2014
Chungbuk National University, Department of Archaeology and Ancient Art History (undergraduate co... more Chungbuk National University, Department of Archaeology and Ancient Art History (undergraduate course taught in Korean language), Autumn 2014
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](Pusan National University Department of Archaeology (undergraduate course taught in Korean langua... more Pusan National University Department of Archaeology (undergraduate course taught in Korean language), Autumn 2014
Pusan National University Department of Archaeology (undergraduate course taught in Korean langua... more Pusan National University Department of Archaeology (undergraduate course taught in Korean language), Winter/Spring 2014
Pukyong National University (undergraduate course taught in Korean)
Yeungnam University, Department of Cultural Anthropology (graduate school seminar team taught wit... more Yeungnam University, Department of Cultural Anthropology (graduate school seminar team taught with Yi Chungkyu in Korean language)
Yale University Department of Anthropology This course focuses on the period from 300,000 year... more Yale University Department of Anthropology
This course focuses on the period from 300,000 years before present to the tenth century A.D. We will explore some of the big questions of world archaeology from the perspective of data from the Korean Peninsula. Students will gain experience in the critical analysis and evaluation of the course readings on prehistory and early history and engage in a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the remote past from Korean and non-Korean perspectives.
