The nature of the Early to Late Paleolithic transition in Korea: Current perspectives

Various models have been presented to explain the transition from the Early to Late Paleolithic in Korea, a major behavioral change that occurred during the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3–2 transition (∼40–25 ka). The three primary models to explain the transition are: 1) a slow in situ evolutionary model, where indigenous foragers slowly developed blade and microblade technologies with little to no outside influences; 2) a north-south [migration] model, where migrations from the north by blade and microblade utilizing foraging groups and from the south by traditional core and flake utilizing foragers occurred; and 3) a migration/trade interaction model where migrations occurred from the north, possibly from the south, but at least some of the foragers in the region interacted in some type of trade interaction sphere. These models are reviewed here, along with a presentation of key Korean sites that date to the MIS 3–2 transition.