Farming in Korea 5,000 years ago

Many Koreans are unaware that their country was the first in the world to grow beans, which are hailed as healthy food. Beans had been thought to be introduced by China in the 7th century B.C. After they were discovered in remains from the Bronze Age in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, and Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, however, the theory that beans were from Korea began to gain strength. The Rural Development Administration in 2007 recovered 1,600 plant seeds whose place of origin is the Korean Peninsula from the U.S. The seeds disappeared in Korea after the U.S. collected them in the 20th century, of which those of beans accounted for a large portion. They comprise 901 bean varieties, including a wild bean that can only be produced at the place of origin. This backs the “out of Korea” theory.

Important remains of Korea’s prehistoric age have been recently discovered. A think tank under the Cultural Heritage Administration found a farming field dating back 5,000 years in Goseong County, Gangwon Province. Identifying the period of archeological remains is a difficult task. But researchers were excited as they excavated house sites from the Neolithic Age and pieces of combed ware made in the same era. Korea is the first country in East Asia to discover a farming field from the mid-Neolithic Age. The previous oldest field that had been excavated was from the Bronze Age.

Korea is assumed to have been inhabited by people from about 700,000 years ago. But the country`s ancestors lived in the Neolithic and Bronze ages. The latest discovery shows that a large number of people settled on the peninsula at the time. People before the farming age wandered around by hunting animals and collecting plants, but settled in one place after the start of farming because they could secure food in a stable manner. Given the latest findings, the timing of the settlement could be pushed back more than 1,000 years earlier.

Koreans have a fixed idea that historically, they have lived under the influence of Chinese civilization. The discovery, however, shows that this is not always the case. As Korea has developed a powerful economy, people need to pay attention to their origins. The discovery has shown that Koreans have much to learn about the Korean Peninsula.

Chief Editorial Writer Hong Chan-sik (chansik@donga.com)