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The Dawn of the Jeulmun Pottery Culture (8000 BCE) - Early Ceramic Traditions in the Korean Peninsula
Around 8000 BCE, during the early Neolithic period, the Jeulmun Pottery Culture (즐문토기 시대) began to flourish in the Korean Peninsula. This marks one of the earliest known ceramic traditions in East Asia, predating even the more widely known Jōmon pottery of Japan. The Jeulmun culture represents a critical phase in the transition from Paleolithic hunter-gatherer societies to more settled Neolithic communities.
The pottery from this period is distinguished by its comb-patterned designs (hence the name "Jeulmun," meaning "comb-patterned"). Early vessels were typically:
- Coil-built (constructed by layering coils of clay)
- Low-fired, resulting in relatively fragile pottery
- Decorated with incised lines, punctures, or raised ridges, often resembling woven patterns
These designs may have held symbolic or functional significance, possibly related to food storage, cooking, or ritual use.
The Jeulmun people were semi-sedentary, relying on:
- Hunting and gathering (wild game, nuts, and seafood)
- Early forms of plant cultivation (possibly proto-agriculture, though full-scale farming came later)
- Shellfish collection, evidenced by large shell middens found at coastal sites
Key excavation sites, such as Amsa-dong (Seoul) and Dongsam-dong (Busan), have revealed:
- Pit dwellings (circular or rectangular)
- Stone tools (arrowheads, grinding stones)
- Bone and antler implements
The Jeulmun culture laid the foundation for later Korean prehistoric societies, eventually evolving into the Mumun Pottery Period (around 1500 BCE), which saw the rise of agriculture and megalithic traditions.
The Jeulmun culture is part of a wider Neolithic ceramic tradition in East Asia, alongside:
- China's Yangshao culture (5000-3000 BCE)
- Japan's Jōmon culture (14,000-300 BCE)
However, Jeulmun pottery stands out for its unique decorative techniques and early emergence.
While archaeological findings provide insights, much about the Jeulmun people's social structure, language, and beliefs remains speculative due to the lack of written records. Further discoveries may refine our understanding of this pivotal era in Korean prehistory.
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