The document discusses the origins and early history of Korea. It describes evidence of early humans dating back 400,000 years and the development of pottery styles between 6000-2000 BCE. The Bronze and Iron Ages introduced new technologies from China. Significant archaeological sites from 100 BCE include megalithic dolmens that indicate social stratification. The document also summarizes the Tangun founding myth, where the bear-woman gave birth to Tangun, who established the first Korean state of Old Joseon in 2333 BCE.

1. Korean 10: Korean Civilization
Week 1: Slide Presentation 1 of 5
The Origins of Korea
Neolithic period and the Founding Myth
Prof. Mickey Hong
Modern Languages & Civilizations

2. How/where/when did Korea
come to be?
 Geography: Peninsular located in the
Northeast of Asia
 Size: North – South 600 miles
(1000km; 3000 ri)
 Language: Altaic language of Inner
Asia includes Mongolian, the Turkic
language, Tungusic language and
Manchu
 Early inhabitants: Remains of
Paleolithic humans have been found
at Kulp’ori in Unggi-gun in the
northeast of Korea (400,000 years)
 Unclear if the peninsular was
continuously inhabited since these
early times

3.  Early Neolithic Period:
Around 6000 BCE, earliest
pottery (Comb-patterned:
chŭlmun AKA pitsal munŭi)
in connection with sell
middens along the coast
 After 3500 BCE:
o Comb patterned
pottery: west coast
o Flat-based pottery: east
coast
o Round-based with wide
mouths: south coast
o Basis of subsistence:
fishing

4. o Comb-patterned pottery lasted until 2000BCE
o 3500 BCE to 2000 BCE: transition from hunting, fishing and
gathering to agriculture as a basis of subsistence
(importance of rice and population distribution around the
river)
 2000 – 1500 BCE
o Comb-patterned => mumun (plain pottery style):
agriculture domination
 700 BCE: Bronze Age Began
o Graves found: bronze mirror, daggers and bells, sometimes
found in stone cists
o P’ip’a (Chinese lute) – shaped dagger and multi-knobbed
mirror (unique in Korea and Liaodong area), different from
Chinese Bronze culture which started in 800 BCE and
introduced to Korea

5. Paleolithic-Neolithic Period
Cave Dwellings
Simple Stone Tools
Comb-Pattern Pottery

6. Bronze Age
 Bronze Mirror
o National Treasure No.
141
o Approx. 3rd-4th Century
BCE
o Sungsil University
Museum
o Diameter 21.2 cm
o The back of this mirror is
divided into three
concentric sections. In
the outermost section
are four pairs of smaller
concentric circles
separated by diamond
designs running
perpendicular to the
diamond designs in the
larger inner circle. The
mirror is considered the
best of the mirrors cast
from clay molds.

7.  Around 300 BCE: Iron Age
o Introduced from China; importance of iron
• Superior to stone for cutting trees, clearing fields
• Arms: eliminating enemies
• Contribution to economic specialization: development
of trade
 Around 100 BCE
o Important artifact: megalith and dolmens (Distinctive
Korean culture) => indicates formation of social
stratification and of social units larger than simple villages
(larger political units)
• Northern type: t’akcha (table) style
• Southern type: paduk (go) style

8. Dolmen Tombs
 Dates from 1,000 B.C.E.
to turn of millennia
 Also found in part of
Europe and North Africa
 About 55,000 dolmens in
the Korean peninsula
 Largest number of
dolmens in the world;
40% of total in the world
 Burial site with tombs
below – sign of
civilization’s social
stratification

9. Prehistory and Myths:
Tangun

10. The First State
 Tangun Myth (Establishment of Old Chosŏn)
o Written in Samguk yusa (Memorabilia of the Three
Kingdoms): compiled by Iryŏn in 1279
o Hwanin (Heavenly God)’s son, Hwanung descend from
Heaven and live with human beings in T’aebak Mount
area
o 3000 followers, and the Earl of Wind, the Master of
Rain and the Master of Clouds
o A bear and a tiger want to transform into human beings
=> Hwanung told them to stay in a cave eating
mugworts and garlic only for 100 days
o The bear succeed and became a woman => bear-woman
o The tiger failed
o Bear-woman bore a son by Hwanung => Tangun
o Tangun established the state Chosŏn in 2333 BCE

11. Tangun
[From Samguk yusa 1:33-34]
The Wei shu tells us that two thousand years ago, at the time of Emperor Yao, Tangun Wanggom
chose Asadal as his capital and founded the state of Choson. The Old Record notes that in olden
times Hwanin's son, Hwanung, wished to descend from heaven and live in the world of human
beings. Knowing his son's desire, Hwanin surveyed the three highest mountains and found Mount
T'aebaek the most suitable place for his son to settle and help human beings. Therefore he
gave Hwanung three heavenly seals and dispatched him to rule over the people. Hwanung
descended' with three thousand followers to a spot under a tree by the Holy Altar atop Mount
T'aebaek, and he called this place the City of God. He was the Heavenly King Hwanung. Leading
the Earl of Wind, the Master of Rain, and the Master of Clouds, he took charge of some three
hundred and sixty areas of responsibility, including agriculture, allotted life spans, illness, punishment,
and good and evil, and brought culture to his people.
At that time a bear and a tiger living in the same cave prayed to Holy Hwanung to transform
them into human beings. The king gave them a bundle of sacred mugworts and twenty cloves of
garlic and said, "If you eat these and shun the sunlight for one hundred days, you will assume
human form." Both animals ate the spices and avoided the sun. After twenty-one days the bear
became a woman, but the tiger, unable to observe the taboo, remained a tiger. Unable to find a
husband , the bear-woman prayed under the altar tree for a child . Hwanung
metamorphosed hims elf, lay with her, and begot a son called Tangun Wanggom .In the
fiftieth year of the reign of Emperor Y ao, Tangun made the walled city of P'yongy ang the capital
and called his country Choson.
He then moved his capital to Asada l on Mount Paegak , also named Mount Kunghol w h en ce h e
ruled for fifteen hundred years . When, in the year 1122 B.C ., King Wu of Chou en feoffed Chi
Tzu (Kija) to Choson, Tangun moved to Changdang gyong, but later he returned and hid in A
sadal as a mountain god at the age of one thousand nine hundred and eight.

12. The First State
 Tangun Myth (Establishment of Old Chosŏn)
1) Hwanin (Heavenly God)’s son, Hwanung descend from Heaven and live with
human beings in T’aebak Mount area
- 3000 followers, and the Earl of Wind, the Master of Rain and the
Master of Clouds
2) A bear and a tiger want to transform into human beings => Hwanung told
them to stay in a cave eating mugworts and garlic only for 100 days
- The bear succeed and became a woman => bear-woman
- The tiger failed
3) Bear-woman bore a son by Hwanung => Tangun
- Tangun established the state Chosŏn in 2333 BCE

13.  The possible interpretation of the myth
 Importance of agriculture, the Beginning of
agricultural age
 Migration of tribe with better agricultural
technology and advanced civilization
(cloud/rain/wind/law)
 Competition between two indigenous tribes: tiger
vs. bear (totems)