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The Late Paleolithic-Neolithic Transition in Korea: Current Archaeological and Radiocarbon Perspectives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Christopher J Bae  and
Jong Chan Kim
Christopher J Bae*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Hawai'i, 2424 Maile Way, Saunders Hall 346, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
Jong Chan Kim
Affiliation:
School of Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea. Email: jckim@phya.snu.ac.kr
*
Corresponding author. Email: cjbae@hawaii.edu
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Abstract

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The application of chronometric dating studies in Korean archaeology has lagged behind similar research in China and Japan. The focus of this article is to provide an update on the accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates derived from Korean Paleolithic and Early Neolithic sites. One of the major highlights from recent AMS 14C studies in Korea is that blade (and microblade) technologies may have diffused directly from Siberia, rather than through northern China as originally thought. In addition, a Neolithic wooden boat has been discovered in Korea that is as old as, if not older than, similar discoveries from eastern China. More detailed archaeological and chronometric studies in Korea in the coming years will certainly clarify many of the points mentioned here. In particular, through more detailed studies, we will be able to further evaluate the causal factors that provided the impetus for the Late Paleolithic-Neolithic transition in Korea.

Type
Archaeology
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 52 , Issue 2: 20th Int. Radiocarbon Conference Proceedings , 2010 , pp. 493 - 499
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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