Alcoholic Beverage, Feasts, and Rituals: For the Practice of Ritual and Feast Archaeology in Korean Prehistory

Abstract

In order to activate ritual researches in Korean prehistoric archaeology, this paper reviewed the existing ritual-related discussions and looked at the social functions and meanings of feasts, which have not received so much attention in the meantime, in connection with archaeological materials. Feasts are a strategic behavior performed for the main purpose of confirming the identity of groups and securing solidarity, acquiring, maintaining, and strengthening socio-political power by hosts who held those feasts. Essential parts of the feasts are the hospitality, and among others alcoholic beverage is an indispensable drink in the feasts. In this paper, after reviewing in detail the cases in China where the existence of alcohol was confirmed through archaeo-scientific analysis, theoretical discussions on rituals and feasts and critical review of ritual-related studies in Korea were conducted. After that, I briefly reviewed the archaeological data that can be interpreted in relation to the feasts in Korean prehistoric archeology. Through this, it was pointed out that archaeological confirmation and interpretation of various rituals and feasts, such as rites of passage and labor mobilization festivals, and overcoming the research tendency that was biased towards the study of funeral rites, are essential for a holistic understanding of prehistoric society.