Pre-History

Korea's history goes back to the Stone Age. Since the Prehistoric Age, the ancestors of the Korean Peninsula lived in Manchuria and the Gulf of Bohai in East Asia. They lived in these areas since the Paleolithic Age (the Stone Age.) The people of the Stone Age lived by hunting and fishing. They also started to develop primitive forms of agriculture.

The Paleothic culture in Korea began 700,000 years ago. The people of the Paleothic Age lived in caves and forged for food. To catch wild animals and fish they made weapons of bones and horns. Relics were found in Sokjangni, Kongju country, Kulp'ori, unggi country, and Chongokni.

The Neolithic Age began about 8,000 years ago. In the earlier stages, the people of the Neolithic Age also lived in caves and made earthenware. For food they hunted wild animals and fished. Later they started to farm and formed clans and societies of equality.

The Bronze Age was around the 10th century B.C. They started making bronzenware. They also introduced a sword made of bronze called the pip'a. The pip'a later evolved into a slender type of sword. The people of the Bronze Age lived in the hilly areas, mostly farming (rice has not been farmed yet.) They also started to make dolmens and stone-coffins tombs for the dead.

The Iron Age culture was introduced around the 4th century B.C. By that time they started to use iron tools and weapons.

 

Korean History