5,000 years old Korean ‘Pompeii’ discovered


This is a video from South Korea about Jeju island.

From the Chosun Ilbo in Korea:

“Korean Pompeii” Discovered on Jeju Island

An archaeological site on Jeju Island is being called Korea’s version of Pompeii after the ancient Roman city which was preserved by volcanic debris.

Discovered in 2006, a human settlement at the Hamori 105 formation in Daejung-eup, Seogwipo City was confirmed to have been smothered by a volcanic eruption more than 5,000 years ago.

The Jeju Culture & Art Foundation collected volcanic materials that covered Hamori and sent it to an American research institute.

The Foundation said Sunday that the U.S. researchers determined the debris to have come from an eruption at nearby Songak Mountain over 5,200 years ago.

Local scientists have discovered beneath the volcanic residue ancient footprints and archaeological items like pottery shards and shellfish fragments that show how the early human inhabitants of the area lived.

Black porgy

“This is the first time that we’ve found relics beneath volcanic residue like Pompeii,” said Lee Chung-kyu, a professor of Archaeology at Youngnam University.

“If we investigate a larger area, we may discover further evidence from Neolithic civilizations here, such as a housing site.”

The researchers discovered that the early people of Hamori made soup from various kinds of shellfish and enjoyed fish such as black porgy and red sea-bream.

The scientists will reveal more information in an upcoming report on the finds.

(englishnews@chosun.com )

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