President
"Our forefathers in ancient times created a resplendent culture which contributed to the flowering of the civilization of the East." ("
Our nation is resourceful with a long history and a brilliant culture. Our nation was developed independently from the earliest times with our characteristic language and culture in our country. It is a great pride of our nation that our nation has lived independently with a developed culture from the earliest times
A long history and a brilliant cultural tradition of our nation is based on the Taedong River Culture, one of five civilizations in the world.
Five civilizations in the world mean the cultures of five zones in which created by first formation of slave states(ancient state), first class states, after end of the primitive ages in human history in the world.
There are the Taedong River Culture in Korea, the Nile River Culture in Egypt, the Two Rivers Culture in Southwest Asia, the Indus River Culture in India and the Huanghei River Culture in China in five civilizations in the world.
The Taedong River Culture is a culture of a first ancient state-Tangun Korea founded in the Taedong River basin around Pyongyang in the Korean Peninsula in the early part of the 30th century B.C.. The Taedong River Culture in Korea is one of the world's first ancient advanced civilizations.
Also ancient states were formed in the Nile River basin in Egypt(the late 40th century B.C.~ the early part of the 30th century B.C.), in the Two Rivers basin in Southwest Asia(the early part of the 30th century B.C.), in the Indus River basin in India(the middle part of the 30th century B.C.) and the Huanghei River basin in China(the late part of the 30th century B.C.) in the similar period with the time of a formation of the Tangun Korea and creation of a new civilization.
Human history was escaped from the primitive society and moved to the state's age, civilized age by first formation of ancient states and creation of new civilizations in these zones in the world.
However, these zones which are named five civilizations in the world are all situated in an eastern direction. This shows clearly that histories and cultures of five zones in an eastern direction were very long and these played great roles in development of histories and cultures in the world.
Long ago Roman in Europe said that light from the east because eastern man, including the Korea, played distinguished roles as pioneers of the world's civilization. This phrase reflects that the east played leading roles of guide in development of history and culture in the world.
The Taedong River Culture in Korea were named newly in Juche 87(1998) and known widely in the world by excavation and research of many new historic sites and relics showing the state character of the Tangun Korea.
One of the most important historic sites characterizing the state character of the Taedong River Culture is King Tangun's Tomb. King Tangun's Tomb was excavated at the foot of the Taebak Mountain, Kangdong County, Pyongyang City in Juche 82(1993) and it was confirmed scientifically that ashes which was discovered in this tomb was a bone of Tangun who lived before fifty centuries(as of 1993).
It was verified that Tangun was not a mythical person and he was the founder of a country of our nation who was born in Pyongyang and fixed the capital(Wanggirmsung) in Pyongyang and established Ancient Korea, the first ancient state in our country.
Another historic sites characterizing the state character of the Taedong River Culture are altar sites. In the Taedong River basin in Korea altar sites were excavated at Huasongdong, Ryongsong District, Pyongyang City. By locations and constructions of the altar sites and discovered relics, it was thrown that these altar sites named Huasongdong 1 and 2 were establishments where ancient Korean performed ancestral sacrifices on the tenth month of the lunar calendar every year, worshiping Tangun who was the founder of a country with a sovereign descended from heaven and a being of God immediately after the death of Tangun.
Looking at the cradle of ancient civilization, including the Two Rivers basin in Southwest Asia and the Nile River basin in Egypt, rulers built gigantic scales of temples or altars and performed "Sun ancestral sacrifices", in other to subject persons absolutely to King and worship king to "the Sun God".
Therefore some historians think that temples or altars are important characters of ancient states and civilizations.
According to ancient records, we can know that Tangun Sacrifice occurred after the death of Tangun and was carried forward splendidly in country to modern ages intact.
From ancient times our ancestors have worshiped Tangun with the ancestral founder of our nation and the founder of a country of Ancient Korea.
Therefore it is proved obviously that the Taedong River basin where were known Tangun altar sites was the cradle of Tangun Korea and one of the world's first cradle of ancient civilizations.
Ancient castle sites such as Chongamdong mud castle, Huangdae Castle, Songhyonri mud castle and Jitabri mud castle etc. also hold an important place in the historic sites characterizing the state character of the Taedong River Culture.
It was newly made clear that the mud castle excavated in Chongamdong, Daesong District, Pyongyang City, was built in the period of Tangun Korea for the first time, by discovering relics(stone axes, scimitars, pieces of short swords having blood fullers, pieces of top vessels etc.) of before and after the period when Tangun Korea was established in the castle walls and inside the fortress.
Huangdae Castle investigated and excavated in Kangdong County, Pyongyang City, also is situated in the Nam River basin, one of tributaries of the Taedong River, and it is mixed castle of soil and stone. It was verified that this castle was built in the period of Tangun Korea, about before 5 000 years, by a megalithic tomb located on the castle wall and a stone coffin tomb excavated in the ruins of the castle.
Looking at Songhyonri mud castle and Jitabri mud castle, these are flatland castles built on hill with a fine-view. Here it was proved that lower castle walls were built in the early period of formation of Tangun Korea.
As this, in the Taedong River basin of Korea castles of early period of Tangun Korea such as Huangdae castle in the east, Songhyonri mud castle in the west, Jitabri mud castle in the south etc. are located in the zone about 100 ri around Chongamdong mud castle in Pyongyang.
These are clear material data verifying existence of an ancient state-Tangun Korea in the Taedong River basin of Korea.
Large-scale village sites excavated in the Taedong River basin are also important sites characterizing the state character of the Taedong River Culture.
Village sites corresponding to before and after the formation of Tangun Korea were excavated in several places in the Taedong River basin. As typical villige sites, we can see Namgyong Site in Honamri, samsok District, Pyongyang City, Pyodae Site, Kumtanri Site in Sadong District, Soktanri Site in Songrim City, North Hwanghae Province, Koyonri Site in Huangju County and Namyang Site in Dokchon City, South Pyongan Province etc.
Large-scale village sites consisting of 100~150 house sites appeared in these all sites.
These large-scale village sites in the Bronze age and ancient times show that many inhabitants groups lived in the Taedong River basin from long ago and social and economic foundations for formation of Tangun Korea were before about 5 000 years.
Besides, there are a lot of sites such as house sites, megalithic tombs and stone coffin tombs etc. among sites characterizing the state character of the Taedong River Culture. Spacially, megalithic tombs and stone coffin tombs are the sites seeing collapses of primitive society, formations and developmental processes of class states and they are distributed in the Taedong River basin around Pyongyang most widely
In no small numbers of relics characterizing the state character of the Taedong River Culture were discovered. Bronze weapons such as pipha-shaped daggers and pipha-shaped spearheads were known in early sites of Ancient Korea distributing in the Taedong River basin.
Pipha-shaped daggers and pipha-shaped spearheads are peculiar bronze weapons which are similar with a pipha, an ancient musical instrument, in Tangun Korea. Our ancestors made and used them yet from early 30 centuries B.C. in the Taedong River basin.
As this, the Taedong River basin is one of zones where first class states were occurred and ancient civilizations were created, because in this zone peculiar bronze weapons which much more superior than stone weapons were made and used earlier than others in the world.
Besides, also the relics known in the Bronze Age of the Taedong River basin and in the early sites of Ancient Korea, including ring-shaped stone axes, star-shaped stone axes, stone daggers having blood grooves etc. well show features, good qualities and developmental degree of the Taedong River culture.
In fact, the Taedong River culture of Korea not only show the state character of Tangun Korea obviously but also it that is proud of long history and brilliant cultural tradition of our nation is one of five civilizations in the world.
