고조선의 실존문제: 상식적 탐색

Abstract

Scholars variously assume the beginning era of the Old Choson as the periods of the flute style daggers (the tenth century B.C.) and the slim daggers (the fourth to third century B.C.), the Choson documented in the Guanzi(管子) (the seventh century B.C.), and the founding of the Wiman Choson (around 190 B.C.). These ideas deny the existence of the Old Choson. The commonly accepted scheme of early Korean history puts the Old Choson, the regime of King Chun, the Wiman Choson, the Four Han Commanderies, and the Multi-state period in the chronological order. According to historical sources, King Chun was a descendent forty generations after Kija who is said to have exiled to the Old Choson from the Western Zhou in the twelfth to eleventh century B.C. If we follow this scheme, the Old Choson must have existed before the twelfth century B.C. However, the former ideas see the beginning of the Old Choson later than the twelfth century. This in turn means that the scholars use the term Old Choson without acknowledging its real existence. The Shiji(史記) and Shangshu dazhuan(尙書大傳) record that Kija(箕子) exiled to the Old Choson in about the twelfth to eleventh century B.C., indicating the existence of the Old Choson beforehand. Although the Qianfulun(潛夫論) names the Old and Kija Chosons as Han and thus makes some confusion, it clearly states that the Old Choson did exist to the east of Yan even before the appearance of the Kija Choson. The location of the Kija Choson to the west of the Old Choson in the text corresponds with the record in the “Old Choson” section of the Samguk yusa(三國遺事). Archaeological materials demonstrate that the late Neolithic in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria was the chiefdom society. The earliest among the sites is Niuheliang(牛河梁) of the Hongshan Culture(紅山文化), dated around 3630 B.C. and represented the early stage of the chiefdom society. The earliest Bronze Age relics are the Lower Xiajiadian Culture(夏家店下層文化) of Liaoxi around 2410 B.C. and the residential site of Changcho'nli at Yong’am, Southern Cholla province about the 24th to 23rd century B.C. and the megalithic site of Yangsuli, Kyonggi province around the 25th to 23rd century B.C. Thus, the beginning era of Bronze Age in the Old Choson areas encompassing the Korean peninsula and the Old Choson could be about the 25th to 23rd century B.C. In this regard, the 2333 B.C., the traditional founding year of the Old Choson is more than 1300 years later than the 3630 B.C. which is the early stage of the chiefdom society and even later than the beginning of Bronze Age, the 25th to 23rd century B.C. It is likely that the Old Choson alreday advanced into the state level rather than the chiefdom in the development. The Korean texts such as the Samguk yusa(三國遺事) and Chewang ungi(帝王韻紀) say that the name of the polity in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria around 2333 B.C. as Choson (the Old Choson). They also call its highest ruler as Tangun(檀君), designating the first Tangun as Wanggom(王儉). Although the level of the polity was the chiefdom level rather than the state, there is no doubt that they had their own name. That many ethnic groups in the world such as the American Indians have their own names supports this idea. It is not clear at this point that whether the polity’s name was Choson from the beginning, transferred after Asadal(阿斯達) or Han(韓), or used these names simultaneously. However, it is difficult to deny the fact that a self-named political entity did emerge in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria at that time. The polity’s name was Choson, as the Korean texts designate it as the Old Choson or Wanggom Choson as well.