Technofunctional analysis of pottery from the late Neolithic and the early bronze periods: Material culture in the formation of ethnic identity in Korea

摘要

Ethnoarchaeological research worldwide has revealed diverse relationships between pottery decoration and aspects of group identity. Many Korean scholars emphasize decoration styles in pottery analysis and regard these as markers reflecting the norms of homogeneous groups. While Korean scholars have focused on pottery stylistic attributes in classifying cultural identities of regional and temporal variations, technological and functional aspects of pottery that inform on subsistence patterns of past societies has seldom been seriously examined and discussed in Korean archaeology.;One of the principal purposes of this research therefore is to assert that technofunctional perspectives on pottery are beneficial for Korean archaeology. In this research, two sites that share similar chronological periods are selected in the analysis of internal and external features, such as rim diameter, surface treatment, wall thickness, and so forth. Although it is not easy to quantify these attributes in a meaningful way, the data from these attributes are used to observe temporal and spatial variations. The resulting data are used to determine whether the traditionally divided regional variations of the Neolithic pottery cultures in Korea can be replicated using technofunctional criteria.;Findings point to a certain level of similarity on some technofunctional attributes of pottery between the sites, and various temporal and regional variations of technofunctional attributes on the pottery collections has been observed. Based on the research results, it is argued that the traditionally accepted regional identities of Korean Neolithic groups based on pottery stylistic pattern is still relevant but the stylistic variations in the transition period from the Neolithic to the Bronze period should not be considered simply as results of population migrations. Thus, with more sample data and extensive work, the technofunctional approach of pottery offers further potential for testing previously accepted models related with the spread of Neolithic pottery cultures in Korea.