Archaeology and History of Toraijin
Human, Technological, and Cultural Flow from the Korean Peninsula to the Japanese Archipelago c. 800 BC–AD 600
Gina L Barnes author Song-nai Rhee author C Melvin Aikens author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Archaeopress
Published:9th Sep '21
Should be back in stock very soon
Archaeology and History of Toraijin: Human, technological, and cultural flow from the Korean Peninsula to the Japanese Archipelago c. 800 BC–AD 600 explores the fundamental role in the history of the Japanese archipelago played by Toraijin – immigrants mainly from the Korean Peninsula – during this formative period. The arrival of immigrant rice-agriculturalists from the peninsula in the early first millennium BC was the first of three major waves of technological transfer between the continent and the islands. The second brought bronze and iron-working to the archipelago around the 4th century BC, and the third brought elite crafts and administrative technology as well as Confucianism and Buddhism in the 5th and 6th centuries AD.
In light of the recently uncovered archaeological data and ancient historical records, this book presents a panoramic bird’s eye view of the fourteen centuries-long Toraijin story, from c. 800~600 BC to AD 600 or thereabouts by answering the following seven questions: Where did the Toraijin come from? What was their historical and socio-cultural background? Why did they leave their homeland? Where did they settle in the Archipelago? What did they do in the Archipelago? How did the Archipelago people treat the Toraijin? What contributions did the Toraijin make to the ancient Japanese society?
'... it is an ambitious project to cover 1400 years of the dynamic socio-cultural developments from the Bronze Age to the state formation and early states period of Korea and Japan, including the Kofun and Three Kingdoms period, with 200 pages and 60 illustrations and maps. Nevertheless, beyond any doubt, this monograph is of extraordinary value and significance as the only book in the English language focused on the role of the Toraijin in the emergence of a complex society and early state during Japan’s formative period. The scholarly/academic significance of this book may be likened to that of 'Archaeology of Ancient China' by K. C. Chang (Yale U. Press (1963, 1986) and 'Prehistory of Japan' by Higuchi and Aikens (Academic Press, 1982), which, for many decades, have exerted overwhelming influence on the international scholarly community on the understanding of Chinese and Japanese archaeology respectively.' – Prof. Gyeong-taek Kim (2021): Journal of Ancient Korean Historical Society
"This is a fascinating and most comprehensive research on the important topic."– Dr Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney (2021)
"This well detailed study of the toraijin should give many cause to rethink their assumptions regarding the substance and character of early relations between the peoples of Korea and Japan." – Dr Jonathan Best (2021)
‘In my opinion as a historian of early Korea, the ideal target audience for Archaeology and History of Toraijin includes graduate students and professional researchers of early Korea and early Japan. For Koreanists, it is a must-read for anyone working on the archaeology, history, and legacy of the Kaya states and Paekche. For Japanologists, it should be required reading for those working on and teaching about premodern Japan.’ – Richard D. McBride II (2023): Monumenta Nipponica, MN 77:2
ISBN: 9781789699661
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 686g
242 pages