Kim Won-yong - Contributions To Archaeology

Contributions To Archaeology

It is difficult to overstate the importance of Kim's contributions in Korean archaeology. Kim Won-yong did research on all aspects and all periods of Korean prehistory and early history, and can be considered as the 'Father of Korean Archaeology'. However, Kim will be remembered for laying the foundation of academic archaeology, symbolized by the publication in 1973 of his seminal work, Hanguk Gogohak Gaeseol . This influential book was reprinted 20 times between 1973 and 1996 and remains a must on the reading list of all students of Korean prehistory and early history. Kim published hundreds of articles and excavation reports over his career in Korean, English, and Japanese. He also trained many generations of the leading archaeologists in Korea.

Kim Won-yong realized the importance of Korean ancient and prehistoric cultural heritage, and served as a Senior Committee member of the National Cultural Heritage Committee of Korea from 1958 to 1992. He was a great proponent of academic exchange with western archaeology, and as such did research with archaeologists such as Richard J. Pearson. Kim was also a vocal critic of the New Archaeology (Processualism) from its inception in the early 1960s, publishing several key letters to the editor in American Antiquity that were critical of the 'new' theoretical movement and defended the 'old guard' of functional and cultural historical archaeology.