[KS] Korean History time line

[Don Baker]

Junghee Lee of  Portland State University asked:
"When introducing Korean time line to the general public in the art catalogue
and the textbook, I checked other catalogues and found the following:
Ususually the catalogues starts with the Neolithic period, Bronze Age, Iron
Age.
The Metropolitan Museum's recent catalogue provided from Korea indicate the
Neolithic period  to 7,000 B.C.E., 2,000 years earlier than previous
catalogues.
And I also noticed Kochoson is missing in most catalogues maybe because it is
not a historical kingdom.  I can understand that one.
I also noticed that Wiman Choson (194-108 B.C.E.) is missing.
I also noticed that Nangnang (Lelang) is missing.
If we were not including Nangnang, do we put Tribal States period (108-57
B.C.E.)?
Can Nangnang be a period in Korean History as Sherman Lee puts it?
Or do we put Nangnang and tribal states period (108 B.C.E.-313 C.E. or 108
B.C.E.-57 B.C.E.) in or
do we just jump into the Three Kingdoms period from the Iron Age (300 B.C.E.)
without Wiman Choson, Nangnang or Tribal States period as the Korean
catalogues are?
What would be the best and truthful way?"



I would suggest ignoring Wiman Choson (we don't see much evidence that it
had much influence on Korean culture), and listing the period before the
rise of kingdoms in Koera as the Iron Age (roughly 300 BCE to 0 CE) and
then follow that with a three century period of proto-kingdoms.  That way
you avoid the controversy over what role Nangnang played in the rise of
Korean civilization and over when the Three Kingdoms became true kingdoms
(the traditional dates are clearly far too early.)


Don Baker
Canada-Korea Business Council Chair
in Korean Studies
University of British Columbia




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