Korean History and Culture Seminar for American Educators Handbook 2017 NKS Seminar-Handbook-Final with Daniel | Page 26

Early Korean History and Culture Albert L. Park, Claremont McKenna College, [email protected] Although people have inhabited East Asia since Paleolithic times, it took many millennia for them to develop into distinct countries with unified identities. Their development was a process marked by both autonomy and shared cultures. Each country has unique origins, culture, and social customs that distinguish it from its neighbors, but there also was extensive exchange of ideas, material goods, and technology. Additionally, Korea has not just been a transmitter of culture between China and Japan, but has had an active role in the production and exchange of cultures within East Asia and beyond. This presentation will examine premodern Korean history and culture from the earliest humans through about the eighteenth century. We will see how the early Korean states developed uniquely and through exchanges with its neighbors. I. Rise of civilization on the peninsula A. Neolithic culture (ca. 8000 BCE to 1500 BCE) 1. Shamanism B. Mythical founding by Tan’gun (2333 BCE) C. Scytho-Siberian bronze culture (ca. 1500 BCE- 300 BCE) D. Sinitic iron culture (ca. 300 BCE-300 CE) E. Agriculture 1. From hunter/gatherers to farmers 2. Example of cultural and commercial contacts in East Asia II. Three Kingdoms period (ca. 50 BCE to 668 CE) A. Koguryo (37 BCE-668 CE) B. Paekche (18 BCE-663 CE) C. Kaya (47-562) D. Silla (57 BCE–936 CE) 1. Bone Rank System 2. Hwabaek Council of Nobles 3. Hwarang (“flower youths”) 4. Queen Sondok (r. 632-647) E. Three Kingdoms, China, and Japan (6 th and 7 th grade standards) 1. Silk Road (separate PowerPoint to be distributed) 2. Buddhism (covered in Day 2) 3. Confucianism (covered in Day 2) 4. Spread of culture and trade a. Aristocratic culture: literacy, Buddhism b. Material culture and technology: metallurgy, silk production, textile manufacture, paper-making, Buddhism c. Commercial trade: Chinese and Korean luxury goods, Japanese silver, copper, timber, steel swords 26