Classification of Bronze Age Mumun Pottery

This research reviews the purposes and methods of the classification of Mumum pottery discussed in the Korean Bronze Age research until now and argues the need for a basic classification system that considers various features, such as shape, production technology, and function. Mumun pottery has been classified based on the shape of the rim and the decorative patterns engraved at the rim of the pottery to identify the spatial and temporal aspects of the material culture of the Korean Bronze Age. There has been research on the socioeconomic aspects, such as the production and distribution of Mumum pottery, but most of them focused on specific vessels, such as the Red burnished pottery, or vessels with certain sizes that are thought to be utilized for storage purposes. To explain an aspect of a certain society through pottery, information on the total population of the pottery of the group should be assumed. The production and distribution of each pottery should be understood within the basic classification system that covers the vessel types, proportions, usage, and production technology within the production system of the group. Therefore, this research argues for the need for a total and cumulative basic classification system that considers the shape-technology-usage of pottery. This research classifies the vessel shapes of the Mumum pottery complex of the Daepyung-ri site, Jinju, which is a large settlement located in the Nam-river basin, based on the size and shape of the vessels, to establish a basic classification system of Mumun pottery. As a result, it has been observed that Mumun pottery with different shapes was produced and the proportion, the time of use, and the area of usage were different for each period. Finally, this research emphasizes the significance and need of the basic classification system of Mumun pottery by examining research cases based on the basic classification system dealing with issues such as the technological tradition within a group, the spread and expansion of technology between different groups, the estimation of a group’s social boundary, and issues relevant to social change.