An Alternative Approach to the Expansion of Paekche during the Hansŏng Period

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to propose an alternative approach to the existing understanding of the expansion of Paekche, one of the ancient kingdoms established on the Korean Peninsula. Historical records and archaeological evidence show that social complexity increased rapidly on the Korean Peninsula around 1 CE, giving rise to polities of various sizes. This study focuses on Paekche, which is presumed to have developed into a state in the midto late-third century. Prior to an invasion from the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo, which prompted Paekche to move its capital to Ungjin in 475, Paekche conquered polities in the areas surrounding Hansŏng (modern-day Seoul) and grew politically, economically, and socially. This period is referred to as the Hansŏng Period, and the kingdom’s ruling system over the regions outside of the capital area and the process of its territorial expansion have been important topics in the fields of history and archaeology. Spatial boundaries, regional ruling systems, and expansion processes have been frequent topics of research in world archaeology. Until the late 1980s and early 1990s, research on ancient states focused on the advent of states, mainly addressing how to generally define the states, how to differentiate them archaeologically, and how to determine their domains.