Social Interactions along Korea’s Southern Coastline: The Legacy of the Protohistoric Port of Neukdo (ca. Second Century BCE to First Century CE)

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Social and Environmental Interactions on Coasts and Islands in Korea" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The southern coastline of the Korean Peninsula acted as a stage for maritime interactions from as early as the Neolithic. However, with the establishment of an international port of trade at Neukdo Island, the range of the maritime network in operation along Korea’s southern coastline expanded to areas as far away as Primorsky Krai in Russia and China’s Central Plains. Research on Neukdo Island has mainly focused on the movements and connections that took place at this port during its heyday, dating from the second century BCE to the first century CE. This paper aims to explore the history of the maritime network in which Neukdo Island functioned as a key node by comparing the distribution of foreign objects—of those dating to the period prior to, and after the establishment of Neukdo—that have been found in southern Korea. Preliminary results suggest that although the international trade port itself was only in existence for around three centuries, the legacy of the maritime network formed by the port’s existence remained strong and played a crucial role in shaping the nature of social and economic interactions in the East Asian world.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Social and Environmental Interactions on Coasts and Islands in Korea   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36840.0