The Kjodon site of initial stage of bronze age at the Korea Peninsula

This article introduces into scientific use the materials from the Kjodon site of initial stage of Bronze Age from the city of Kannyn (Gangwon-do province of Republic of Korea). This archaeological object represents a settlement, situated in the central part of the Korean peninsula, on the coast of the Sea of Japan. At this moment, it is one of the earliest sites of the Bronze Age on the territory of the Republic of Korea (17th - 16th centuries BC). Researchers studied 6 dwelling at this settlement, characterized by house pits of subrectangular or subsquare shares; pole pits along the walls of the house pits; hearths - “stone boxes ” or fire places without additional structures. The most striking feature of the tool complex of the settlement is smooth-walled ceramic vessels with spherical body, narrow bottom and dissected bolster, glued on the rim. The character of the dwelling and equipment from this settlement demonstrates the features, characterized the sites of Northwestern Korea. The settlements with analogous construction of the dwellings, containing the “spin ceramics ” -the non-ornamented vessels with a spherical body, very narrow bottom and bolster, glued on the rim and decorated by cutmarks are well presented in the Taedong River Basin in the north-west of the Korean peninsula. On the other hand, the pot-like vessel, with ornament in the form of unfair holes on the rim, from the dwelling 1 of Kjodon site demonstrates the similarities with pottery of settlements from the north-east of Korea. Also, we retraced the correlation between materials of Kjodon settlement and Early Bronze Age complexes of karagdon type from the central and southern areas of Korea. Further study of the sites, similar Kjodon site and dated to the initial stage of the Bronze Age will give the key to solving the problem of the origin and further cultural development in the Bronze Age on the Korean Peninsula in general.