Talk:Three Kingdoms of Korea

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[edit] Archaeological evidence of the start of KTK period

This article is informative, has many strengths, and hits on a lot of the main points that one would want to mention about the Three Kingdoms. Yet Wikipedia articles should aim to be more balanced than this one. This article is biased too much toward historical interpretations that have very little basis in archaeological evidence. One startling example is the claim that highly developed state level societies had formed on the Korean peninsula before A.D. 0.

Archaeologists apply a set of strict theoretical guidelines derived from anthropology, ethnology, analogy, and ethnohistory to the concept of what defines a state-level society. For example the presence of urban centres (especially capitals), monumental architecture, ostentatious burials, writing or recording systems, bureaucracy, demonstrated political control of geographical areas that are usually larger in area than a single river valley, etc make up some of these correlates.

The best evidence from the vast archaeological record in Korea indicates that states formed on the Korean peninsula between 300 B.C. and A.D. 300/400. It is during this 'protohistoric' period that it is possible to find evidence of a few of these archaeological correlates. However, archaeologists are not prepared to suggest that this means there were states in the B.C. era. It is some time in the 4th century A.D. (A.D. 300-400) that many of the correlates of state societies coalesce to the point that state-level societies can be confidently identified using the copious and incredibly rich data provided by the many excavations that have taken place in Korea since the mid-20th century.

It may be possible to claim 'states' existed before A.D. 0, however, provided that some indication is given that one is referring to the the East Asian intellectual concept of guk (국 or 國) that is still actively discussed in the discipline of HISTORY. Guk is not the same as anthropological and archaeologically defined 'state-level societies'. For example, these are more similar to complex chiefdoms or even the Lee Ki-baek-esque "wall-town states". However, if this is the case in the current version of the text, it should be more clearly expressed.

We should be more critical of the textual evidence that is presented in the Samguk Yusa and Samguk Sagi. These texts are indispensibly useful and wonderful, but we should see those texts for what they really are.

My intention is not to upset the hard-working contributors who are doing an excellent job in the wonderful task of bringing Korean early history to the Wikiworld. I simply suggest that the article be re-written in parts to provide an archaeological perspective that exists alongside of the original historical perspective.

Sorry for the long-winded text.

Mumun 14:51, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

Hi 삼국시대 꾼들,

Further to the above statement, I am currently in preparation of a new section that I would like to add on to this article. I would like to base it exclusively on archaeological evidence and make it brief but informative. Hundreds of excavations, many of them on a large-scale, are changing the face of what we know about the Three Kingdoms. This is a good thing largely because excavations act as a supplement to what we already know and can help us create a Braudelian 'thick description'. For example, major strides have been made in a new understanding of industrial-scale production of pottery, roof-tiles, and figurines in Silla. Additionally, as many of you are aware, the 신라왕경 (the heart of the Silla capital) is in in the process of being excavated, step-by-step year-by-year. It's going to take me a while to get things down to a tight paragraph, but in the meantime if their are any comments or suggestions, please leave them here or on my talk page. --Mumun 20:44, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

I have started to add an archaeological perspectives section. I hope to add stuff about industrial sites, 5th and 6th century burials (and thus tie in with Heavenly Horse Tomb and many others), and other stuff. Not totally complete yet. Feel free to add! Mumun 02:16, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Great stuff! More please... Would be wonderful to have a whole full-length article surveying this topic. -- Visviva 15:57, 2 December 2006 (UTC)