History of Korea: Encyclopedia II - History of Korea - Gojoseon ? - 108 BC

History of Korea - Gojoseon ? - 108 BC

Main articles: Gojoseon, Dangun, Founding Myth of Korea

According to legend, Korea's first kingdom, Gojoseon (고조선, then called Joseon), was founded by Dangun in 2333 BC, in southern Manchuria and northern Korean peninsula. The people of Gojoseon belonged to the Tungusic family and were linguistically affiliated with the Altaic. Around 2000 BC, a new pottery culture is evidenced, with painted designs, in Manchuria and northern Korea. Intensive agriculture and complex societies developed during the Mumun Pottery Period (c. 1500-300 BC).

Gija, a subject of Yan, is thought to have brought Yan cultural influence to Korea around the 11th century BC. The Bronze Age began around 1000 BC in northern Korea and 700 BC in southern Korea. Bronze daggers, mirrors, and weaponry have been found, as well as evidence of walled-town polities. Rice, red beans, soybeans and millet were cultivated, and rectangular pit-houses and increasingly larger dolmen burial sites are found throughout the peninsula. [1] By third century BC, iron culture was developing and the warring states pushed the refugees eastward and south to neighboring islands.

Around this time, a state called Jin arose in the southern part of the Korean peninsula. Very little is known about Jin, except it was the apparent precursor to the Samhan confederacies.

Among the Chinese refugees, Wiman became a Gojoseon commander, then usurped control from King Jun in 194 BC. Wiman Joseon was sinicized, but not a Chinese colony. In 109 BC, the Chinese began a massive invasion of Gojoseon near the Liao River. Gojoseon fell after over a year of war, in 108 BC. China then established four commanderies in northwestern Korea and Manchuria.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Gojoseon ? - 108 BC", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki