Early Bronze Age Subsistence Patterns and Social Organization Based on Dwelling Structures : A Preliminary Study Focused on the Yeongnam Region, Korea

This study investigates the typological reclassification of Early to Middle Bronze Age material culture in the Yeongnam region of Korea by examining dwelling structures to infer corresponding subsistence patterns. The spatial-temporal scope encompasses the Early to Middle Bronze Age within the Yeongnam area, subdivided geographically into three zones. A comprehensive data set comprising 335 dwellings from 71 archaeological sites was selected for detailed examination. The study critically addresses the limitations inherent in traditional typological methods employed since the 1980s for interpreting Bronze Age archaeological contexts. Instead, dwellings are reorganized into archetypal and variant forms, reflecting temporal and cultural shifts linked to migration and settlement processes. Subsistence strategies were traced and defined through artifact assemblages associated with each dwelling type, conceptualized here as dynamic adjustments to changing ecological and social contexts. Consequently, the Misari type, representing early migrants, is characterized by a semisedentary, highly mobile hunter-gatherer adaptation. The Garakdong type, exhibiting increased agricultural activities alongside hunting-gathering practices, reflects a semisedentary, settled hunter-gatherer economy. The subsequent Yeoksamdong type, derived from the Garakdong tradition, demonstrates a fully sedentary agricultural economy, emphasizing intensive farming practices. Applying Lewis R. Binford's (1980) model for hunter-gatherer settlement diversity, the Misari type aligns with forager groups, while Garakdong and Yeoksamdong types correlate with collector groups. To verify these categorizations, quantitative analyses of mobility patterns were conducted following Robert Kelly's (2019) framework, utilizing Effective Temperature and Primary Productivity metrics. Misari-type societies, heavily reliant on hunting-gathering, were classified as patrilineal groups characterized by simpler social structures. In contrast, Garakdong and Yeoksamdong-type groups, marked by increased reliance on agriculture and larger social units, corresponded to matrilineal agricultural communities. Furthermore, Yeoksamdong dwelling forms closely resemble longhouse structures commonly associated with matrilineal, mixed-farming societies, highlighting broader patterns within prehistoric Korean social evolution.