A Textual and Prehistoric-Geographical Reassessment of Aisa-ta(阿⽿斯它) and Aisa-bi(阿⽿斯庀) in 『Samseonggijeon(三聖紀全』 : Focusing on the Possibility of Identifying Them with Altun Tagh(阿爾金山) and Later Toponymic Transmission

[Research Topic] This study examines the historical and geographical identification of Aisa-bi(阿⽿斯庀, 아이사비) and Aisa-ta(阿⽿斯它, 아이사타), place names transmitted in relation to 『Samseonggijeon(三聖紀全, 삼성기전)』, and investigates the possibility that these names may correspond to the present-day Altun Tagh(阿爾⾦⼭, 아이금산) mountain system in Central Asia. Particular attention is given to the relationship between the textual forms Aisa-bi(阿⽿斯庀, 아이사비) and Aisa-ta(阿⽿斯它, 아이 사타), their geographical context, and the possibility of long-term toponymic transmission. [Research Background] The identification of ancient place names transmitted through later historical texts presents a methodological difficulty because the chronological distance between the presumed historical event, the formation of the text, and the surviving textual tradition may be substantial. This problem is especially significant when the geographical reference is associated with a prehistoric or very early historical time layer exceeding approximately 9,000 years before the present, for which direct written evidence cannot normally be expected. The study therefore approaches the problem by distinguishing the existence of a textual record from the historical identification of the place described by that record. [Difference from Previous Studies] Previous discussions have generally focused on individual textual references, linguistic similarities, or broad geographical interpretations of Aisa-bi(阿⽿斯 庀, 아이사비) and Aisa-ta(阿⽿斯它, 아이사타). This study differs by integrating textual criticism, historical geography, toponymic analysis, and the examination of prehistoric geographical conditions within a single analytical framework. Rather than treating a linguistic or geographical resemblance as conclusive evidence, it separately evaluates textual transmission, chronological context, geographical correspondence, and the limitations caused by the absence of contemporary records. [Research Methods] The study first examines the surviving transmission of 『Samseonggijeon(三聖紀全, 삼성기전)』, with particular attention to the passage identifying Aisa-bi(阿⽿斯庀, 아이사비) as the place where Naban(那般, 나반) first encountered Aman(阿曼, 아만). It then compares the transmitted forms Aisa-bi(阿 ⽿斯庀, 아이사비) and Aisa-ta(阿⽿斯它, 아이사타), while examining later documentary materials presented in connection with the place name, including 『Weishu(魏書, 위서)』, 『Shangshu Zhengyi(尚書 正義, 상서정의)』, 『Datang Xiyu Ji(⼤唐西域記, 대당서역기)』, 『Cen Jiazhou Ji(岑嘉州集, 잠가주집)』, and geographical dictionaries. The analysis further considers the geographical relationship among Altun Tagh(阿爾⾦⼭, 아이금산), Khotan(于闐, 우전), the Tarim Basin (塔⾥⽊盆地, 타림분지), and Dunhuang(敦煌, 돈황). Documentary verification, textual comparison, historical-geographical analysis, and the assessment of prehistoric geographical conditions are used together, while claims that cannot be independently confirmed from the relevant editions are treated as research hypotheses rather than established facts. [Research Results] The analysis confirms that 『Samseonggijeon(三聖紀全, 삼성기전)』 contains a direct textual reference to Aisa-bi (阿⽿斯庀, 아이사비) as the place of the first encounter between Naban(那般, 나반) and Aman(阿曼, 아만). The comparison of Aisa-bi (阿⽿斯庀, 아이사비) and Aisa-ta(阿⽿斯它, 아이사타), together with their proposed geographical setting, indicates that the identification of the place name with the Altun Tagh(阿爾⾦⼭, 아이 금산) region is a historically meaningful hypothesis that warrants further investigation. In particular, the geographical continuity among the Altun Tagh(阿爾