Sanxingdui in the Historiography of the Republic of Korea

Abstract

Тhe purpose of this article is to analyze the degree of archaeological and scientific knowledge on the territory of the Republic of Korea of the site and culture of Sanxingdui, discovered in 1986 in the Sichuan province of the People’s Republic of China. The Sanxingdui site entered world historiography due to the finds of magnificent bronze objects – such as face masks, human statues and “sacred trees”. The sources of the work were 28 printed works published in the Republic of Korea, the authors or translators of which were South Korean specialists. As a result of the analysis of South Korean publications that used materials from the Sanxingdui site or culture, the following conclusions can be drawn. The site and culture of Sanxingdui did not go without deserved attention in South Korean historiography. The main types of publication of Sanxingdui materials are chapters in general works on the history and culture of ancient China, as well as articles on Chinese and East Asian mythology and linguistics. A whole series of research projects under the leadership of Professors Kim Hyunja and Kim Seonja is devoted to the reflection of mythological images in the Sanxingdui culture. Also in the Republic of Korea, two Masters thesis were defended in which materials from the Sanxingdui site were used to solve applied problems. The site and culture of Sanxingdui have left a clear mark on South Korean historiography, though not always original.