유라시아 대륙의 동쪽 끝에 위치한 한국의 고고학적 과거는 외부에 잘 알려져 있지 않다. 그럼에도 불구하고 대한민국이 신흥 공업국으로 부상하면서, 고고학은 번성하고 있다. 매년 수천 건의 발굴이 이루어지고 있으며, 이로 인해 많은 놀라운 발견들이 이루어지고 있다. 전국 구석구석 선사시대 주민들의 유적이 발견되고 있으며, 그중 더 많은 유적이 역사적 시기에 보고되고 있다. 마땅한 안내서가 없는 상황에서 이 책은 관심 있는 독자들에게 한국 고고학의 개요를 소개한다. 고고학 관련 사진을 풍부하게 실었을 뿐 아니라, 한국의 선사시대 전반에 대해 요약적으로 논하고 역사시대의 중요한 부분들을 제시하고 있다. 이러한 내용은 독자들에게 현대 한국인과 그들의 문화를 형성해 온 한반도 안과 밖에서 일어난 독특한 문화 발전 과정을 이해하는 데 도움을 줄 것이다. Lying at the eastern end of the continental Eurasia, archaeological past of Korea is rather poorly known to the outside world. Nevertheless, with the rise of the Republic of Korea, i.e., South Korea, as a newly industrialized nation, archaeology is thriving. Thousands of excavations are being conducted each year, resulting in many surprising discoveries. Remains of the prehistoric inhabitants are found at every corner of the country, and more of them are reported for historical periods. In the absence of a suitable guidebook, this book introduces interested readers to the outline of Korean archaeology. With plenty of photographs, it summarily discusses the prehistory of Korea in general and presents some of the important discoveries from the historical periods. By doing so, it may help readers to understand the unique course of cultural development that had occurred within and beyond the Korean Peninsula which had shaped the modern Koreans and their culture.

List of Figures Acknowledgements Preface chapter 1. INTRODUCTION Archaeology of Korea - A Brief History Scope of the Monograph Korean Peninsula - Physical Geography chapter 2. THE EARLIEST INHABITANTS Pleistocene Environment Foundation and Development The Imjin Basin Handaxes An Early Palaeolithic? Upper Palaeolithic Sequence Towards the Holocene chapter 3. FROM FORAGERS TO FARMERS Neolithic in the Northeast Asian Context Legacy of Colonialism Neolithic Sequence Settlement Pattern Population and Burials Ecology, Subsistence and Diet Ending of the Era chapter 4. BRONZE DAGGERS AND DOLMEN BUILDERS Bronze Age in Two Koreas Time and Space - Bronze Age without Bronze? Daggers and Dolmens Chronology and Periodization Village and Community Evidence of Farming Burials and Social Stratification A Step Closer to History chapter 5. EMERGING PEER POLITIES Arrival of Iron Bronze Age Extended Changes in Culture Sphere Where Are They? A Theocratic Society? chapter 6. DAWN OF HISTORY Early Polities Buyeo, Eumnu, Okjeo and Lelang Early Baekje and Its Mahan Peers Jinhan and Byeonhan New Orders Emerging chapter 7. THREE KINGDOMS PERIOD AND AFTER Korean History - A Quick Overview Goguryeo Balhae Baekje Yeongsan River Basin before Baekje Gaya Silla before Unification Silla after Unification After Silla - Goryeo and Joseon SUMMARY AND PROSPECTS Suggested Readings Figure Sources