Attempts at reconstructing subsistence strategies in prehistoric Korea, par
ticularly during the Neolithic and Bronze Age, are few. Research directed t
owards explaining change in subsistence patterns in this part of East Asia
are even fewer. This article addresses the latter question through analysis
of vertebrate faunal remains from Konam-ri, a Neolithic/Bronze Age shell m
idden site located off the central west coast of Korea. Significant distinc
tions in subsistence strategies are evident between the Neolithic and Bronz
e Age deposits at Konam-ri: Neolithic Koreans relied heavily on wild game a
nd fish resources, but by the advent of the Bronze Age, subsistence shifted
towards a heavier dependence on agricultural products, particularly rice a
nd millet. It is argued here that increasing population pressure during the
Neolithic may have been the causal factor leading to intensified procureme
nt of the Konam-ri inhabitants; primary resource: fish. This dependence on
previously secondary and tertiary resources (i.e., rice and millet agricult
ure). This evidence may have further implications for other regions of Kore
a.