A Preliminary Archaeological Research to Market Exchange: Focusing on Scientific Analysis

Archaeological artifacts were often objects of exchange in the past, making archaeology a crucial field for studying trade and economic systems. Recently, discussions in this field have expanded to explore the specific characteristics and significance of market exchange. This study focuses on scientific provenance analysis as a method for identifying market exchange, reviewing relevant theories and methodologies, and comparing case studies of ceramic provenance analysis. The findings indicate that the widespread distribution of ceramics, regardless of site characteristics or social hierarchy, suggests a strong correlation with market exchange. In particular, the distribution of Baekje Hanseong-style ceramics serves as significant evidence supporting the existence of market exchange. In contrast, ceramics excavated from fortress sites of Goguryeo and Unified Silla, despite their wide distribution, appear to reflect specialized distribution or redistribution systems related to administrative and military consumption. Furthermore, ceramics from general settlements exhibit a notably limited distribution range. Scientific provenance analysis not only helps identify production and consumption sites and reconstruct distribution networks but also serves as a valuable tool for understanding the nature and mechanisms of exchange. Notably, its potential to examine the existence of market exchange highlights its significance as a key methodological approach for interpreting the economic structures of past societies. However, as this study is limited to the distribution of ceramics as a single commodity, a more comprehensive investigation incorporating provenance analyses of various types of goods is necessary to achieve a more detailed understanding of past market exchange dynamics.