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Ancient boat unearthed
07/09/2005 14:11 - (SA)
Seoul - South Korean archaeologists said on Tuesday they had excavated an 8 000-year-old log boat believed to be the oldest in the world.
The prehistoric boat, a hollowed-out pine tree, was unearthed below a layer of compacted shells dating back to the early part of the Neolithic Era some 8 000 years ago, the state-run Gimhae National Museum said.
The find was made in Bibong-ri, 360 kilometres southeast of Seoul.
Now a village 50 kilometres, it was believed to have been a coastal settlement during the Stone Age when the boat was made.
The excavated boat is incomplete but could have been up to seven metres long, according to the archaeologists.
"This is the first prehistoric boat found in our country, and presumed to be the oldest one found so far in the world," archaeologist Lee Jung-Gun told Yonhap news agency.
Others said ancient man used fire and sharp stones to hollow out the log boat, which was blackened with soot in some parts. They said the boat was probably used for fishing.
Excavation began in 2003 at Bibong-ri after floodwater from a powerful typhoon devastated the area, uprooting tree trunks and uncovering historic relics.
- AFP
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