| Summary: | The Korean peninsula, fought over by Russia, China and Japan in the late nineteenth century, became a protectorate in 1905 before being annexed to Japan in 1910. Japan would later conduct extensive “studies into the ancient customs and institutions” of the country in parallel to archaeological investigations. Archaeology—at that time a new field of knowledge—had a central role to play in forging national identities. This article seeks to present an overview of Japanese archaeology in colonial Korea. To do so, I will first examine the studies and networks that existed prior to 1910, then describe the process of institutionalizing colonial knowledge that began shortly after annexation. Finally, I will address the issue of excavation programs and museums, as well as colonial publications.
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