AMSA-DONG, Seoul - Amid the thriving and teeming urban sprawl of Seoul with its modern skyscrapers and towering apartment complexes, it might be hard to imagine that about 6,000 years ago a small group of perhaps a few dozen nomads settled down on the shores of the Han River and created what has become known as the Amsa-dong Prehistoric Settlement.

6,000 years and over 10 million people later, this prehistoric settlement allows visitors to see how these ``early residents of Seoul’’ lived. Located in southeastern Seoul in Kangdong-gu, the prehistoric residential site of Amsa-dong _ the largest Neolithic settlement in Korea _ is comprised of a set of dwelling sites where people lived around 4,000 - 3,500 B.C., as well as an excellent museum with dioramas, displays of tools and farm implements, and films about Korea’s prehistoric past (some displays are in English).

Designated as Important Historic Place No. 267 on July 26, 1979, the prehistoric settlement site in Amsa-dong has been open to public since August 1988. Nine pit-houses have been reconstructed on the grounds to give the visitor an idea of what a village in the Seoul area might have looked like in the distant past. Developed as a park on a large parcel of land, this place has nicely laid-out paths, lawns and groves of trees, which add to its natural beauty.

This site was first discovered when a flood swept away sand from the hills in 1925, unearthing a large amount of comb-design earthenware. Earthenware of this design is characteristic of the Neolithic era. Over 20 pit sites, annexed facilities and stone mounds were found in Amsa-dong at that time, together with various kinds of pottery and stoneware. Together with the shell mound of Tongsam-dong in the Naktong estuary in Pusan, the Amsa-dong site has played a major role in determining an outline of Neolithic culture.

Based upon the discoveries of excavations at this site, the former residents lived mainly by hunting and fishing, with some rudimentary farming. The foundations of pit-houses, pottery chards, and stone tools have all been found in excavations that began in 1981.



Other Neolithic sites in Korea include Chongho-ri on Taedong River near Pyongyang and Misa-ri on the Han River near Seoul, both of which are the remains of settlements that came into existence about 6000-7000 years ago. People of the period lived by fishing, hunting and gathering wild fruits, having also ground acorns and wild grains.

People in the Neolithic era made deep dugout shelters, a number of which have been found on the broad, level land along the Han River. Evidence for the importance of fishing in the area is provided by tools that have been discovered, including weights for fishing nets and fishing spears. Arrowheads unearthed on the site also suggest that the same people practiced hunting.

Dugout shelters in the Neolithic era were built on hills and fields beside the river. Dugout shelters are representative of housing in the Neolithic era, there also being caves dating to the same period. The hollows were about 50-100 centimeters deep and were either round or square. The hollows included a cooking stove at the center and a roof above. The cooking stoves were made of stones or clay and were either round, oval or rectanglular. The stoves were used for heating and cooking.



The floors were made of clay and covered with either grass or animal skins. About two or three people are supposed to have lived in one of the smaller shelters, while five or six lived in a larger one. Typical dugout shelters consisted of floors below ground level and rafters touching together above without walls. The roof was held up by the rafters placed around the pit.

One pit-house is open to the public, allowing a visitor to gain a good idea of the living conditions of these early people as well as the construction of the shelter.

In addition to the comb-pattern earthenware, the site has also provided insights into diets and farming techniques of the time. Acorns found at the site with grinding boards and grinding stones suggest this was their staple food. The people living here are also believed to have engaged in dry-field farming due to agricultural tools unearthed at the site, including a plough and a stone sickle.

For those a little more curious about how these early residents of Korea lived, the highlights of the Amsa Prehistoric Settlement are the museum and exhibition hall located next to the nine pit-houses. This museum contains 8 shelters and one storage pit dating from 6,000 years ago. The sites have been vulcanized and the exhibition hall was built to protect them.

The exhibition hall is centered on a pit-house, and features maps displaying the distribution of other prehistoric sites along the Han River, details of prehistoric pottery, and a chronological table of the Neolithic age. It also has a diorama illustrating the lifestyles of Neolithic people in Korea.



Other exhibits include stone tools and comb-pattern pottery. Shaped like half an egg with their bases slightly rounded or pointed, comb-pattern pottery was made from clay tempered with asbestos and talcum on which the clay rings were stacked. Mostly brown in color, while the pottery is known for its geometric designs, some examples are plain without any design.

Admission: Adults 500 won, Students 300 won
Hours: March-October 9:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. / November-February 9:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. It is closed on Mondays and Jan. 1.

Labels: Amsa, Amsa-dong Prehistoric Settlement Site, korea, Seoul