The Archaeology of Korea

The Archaeology of Korea surveys Korean prehistory from the earliest Palaeolithic settlers, of perhaps half a million years ago, through the formation of the Three Kingdoms, and on to the creation of United Silla in AD 668, when the peninsula was largely united for the first time. The author examines the development of state-level societies and their relationship to polities in Japan and China, and the emergence of a Korean ethnic identity. Emphasising the particular features of the region, she dispels the notion that the culture and traditions of Korea are only pale imitations of those of its neighbours, China and Japan. Sarah Nelson has specialised in Korean archaeology for twenty years. She draws on her own research and that of Korean colleagues; and while much of the data comes from the Republic of Korea, the north is considered as far as sources permit.

• This book is the only one of its kind to present a synthesis of all the existing archaeological work on the region, from the early Palaeolithic until the sixth century AD
• The book contains interesting comparisons between Korean culture and tradition and those of Japan and China. The development of Korean ethnicity is also examined
• As the only foreigner who regularly works in Korea, Sarah Nelson has been enabled to acquire a first-hand knowledge of the recent research of Korean archaeologists and to incorporate this into her own work