xix, 331 p. : ill., maps. A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries under the call number: KNIGHT GN855.K6 K56 2002 / This dissertation explores the development of sociopolitical complexity in
southwest Korea's Boseong River Valley. One of the main archaeological tasks
currently being pursued in Korea is charting the emergence of complex society there.
This dissertation comprehensively reviews the issues and history of research on the
subject, then embarks on an analysis of the trajectory towards complexity in a selected
region of southwest Korea. A large scale archaeological project in the Boseong River
Valley during the 1980s rescued a huge corpus of data threatened by the construction of
the Juam Dam project, which has remained undigested, never sufficiently organized or
analyzed. I draw on this corpus, organizing and analyzing the data it yields on burial
practices and settlement distribution, because these categories of information are
particularly useful in examining key research issues.
The burial excavations were of unprecedented scope, with 38 1 dolmen graves
identified and investigated in 23 locations. Many dolmens have been observed and investigated in Korea, but an excavation sample of this size is unique and presents a rare
analytical opportunity. A quantitative analysis of burial furnishings from these
dolmens identifies five categories that reflect differing social statuses. Charting the
distribution of such burials within the region allows the mapping of zones differentially
occupied by persons of varying social status, and the places on the landscape where elite
personages were situated. Comparing these patterns with the occurrence of large and
small settlements strengthens a picture of a class-differentiated society within the region.
Based on this analysis, I conclude that the dolmen period society of the Boseong River
Valley had advanced to an intermediate level of sociopolitical complexity. In
conclusion, the archaeological evidence is discussed with reference to historical events
in the region, as these are known from ancient Chinese and Korean chronicles, to
propose an interpretation of the growth of cultural development in the Boseong River
Valley in relation to broader developments in southern Korea. / Committee in charge: Dr. C Melvin Aikens, Chair;
Dr. Song Nai Rhee;
Dr. William Ayres;
Dr. Hao Wang
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uoregon.edu/oai:scholarsbank.uoregon.edu:1794/11763 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Kim, Gyongtaek, 1964- |
| Publisher | University of Oregon |
| Source Sets | University of Oregon |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Relation | University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Anthropology, Ph. D., 2002; |
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