It is a rare and momentous occasion when such a comprehensive and well-researched monograph about the archaeology and history of an ancient state of Northeast Asia—in this case, Puyŏ—appears in print. Located in central Jilin Province, China, Puyŏ formed during a time that spans late pre-history (c. third century b.c.) and developed during the protohistorical period of Northeast Asia, persisting, in one form or another, until the late fifth century a.d. Although it was an important kingdom in Northeast Asian and Korean historiography, it left no records of its own. Puyŏ is mentioned briefly in many publications about Korean archaeology and history, however, because of its pivotal role in the claims of legitimacy of the so-called successor states of Koguryŏ, Paekche, and even Palhae.
In this volume, Byington reconstructs the first-ever history in any language of the origin, development, and decline of the Puyŏ state in the context of...