Gojoseon (고조선) Dynasty

Overview: 

The Gojoseon Dynasty was the first kingdom in Korea, located northeast of the modern-day country. According to myth, it was founded at around 2333 BC. Its early culture was notable for its chiseled and painted pottery, but by around 1500 BC, it was replaced by plain pottery. Bronze mirrors and daggers have been excavated from the area. The daggers, along with dolmens (graves made using two megaliths (large stones) holding a third megalith like a table) cannot be found in China.

Founding and Collapse: 

According to Korean mythology, the Gojoseon Dynasty was created at around 2333 BC by Dangun, the child of a heavenly prince and a bear woman. 

Map of the Gojoseon Dynasty

Another myth says that Wi Man, a military officer of the Yan Dynasty in China, fled to the Korean Peninsula from the Han dynasty. He then replaced King Jun as the leader of Joseon.

Culture: 

By around 2000 BC, chiseled and painted pottery was used in the country. However, 500 years later, plain pottery was more prominent. 

Dolmen tombs appeared in Korea since about 2000 BC. Dolmens are made with two large stones holding up a third, slab like stone, making it appear like a table. However, these weren’t the only types of tombs in Korea. 

Dolmen Tomb on Ganghwa Island

Some other types of tombs include underground tombs lined with stone called cists and cairns, which are stacks of stones used as a marker, in this case for a grave.