Constructing "Korean" Origins a Critical Review of Archaeology, Historiography, and Racial Myth in Korean State Formation Theories
- List Price: $52.00
- Binding: Hardcover
- Publisher: Harvard Univ Pr
- Publish date: 07/01/2000
Description:
In this wide range study, Hyung IL Pai examines how archaeological finds from throughout Northeast Asia have been used in Korea to construct a myth of state formation. This myth emphasizes the ancient development of a Korean race that created a civilization rivaling those of China and Japan and a unified state controlling a wide area in Asia. Through a new analysis of the archaeological data, Pai shows that the Korean state was in fact formed much later and that it reflected diverse influnces from throughout Northern Asia, particulary the material culture of Han China. Her deconstruction of the uses of the archaeological finds by nationalistic historians reveals how they have been utilized to legitimate Korean nationalisin and a particuar form of national identity.
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