5,000-Year-Old Salt Facilities Found in North Korea

Bronze Age spinning-top-shaped vessels and fragments were discovered astatine a brackish accumulation site. Credit: KCNA / DPRK

Archaeologists in North Korea person uncovered past brackish facilities dating backmost astir 5,000 to 5,500 years astatine a tract successful the Woneup Workers’ District of Onchon County, Nampo, according to a authorities property release. The find includes brine retention pits and salt-boiling installations from some the Bronze Age and the Neolithic period, placing each cardinal details tied to the rubric astatine the halfway of the find.

The excavation was carried retired by a probe squad from the Archaeology Institute of the Academy of Social Sciences. The squad said the tract is the archetypal known find successful the state of salt-production remains from those 2 prehistoric periods.

Brine pits uncover 2 prehistoric concern layers

Researchers recovered that the brine retention diagnostic had a hemispherical signifier suited for holding brackish water.

The operation was divided into 2 taste layers. In the precocious layer, archaeologists recovered a hardened mud aboveground erstwhile utilized to store brine, on with fragments of Bronze Age funnel-shaped pottery.

Archaeologists successful North Korea recovered brackish facilities and brine pits that amusement prehistoric brackish accumulation from 5,000 years ago. pic.twitter.com/YeKiXiNg3k

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In the little layer, they uncovered a heavy clay deposit mixed with wood ash, which they said had been laid down for storing brine, on with pieces of Neolithic incised pottery.

The salt-boiling country besides had 2 layers. In the precocious layer, the squad recovered a fired-pot installation with flues that was utilized to ore brine, unneurotic with Bronze Age funnel-shaped pottery fragments. In the little layer, they recovered a akin installation without flues and pieces of Neolithic incised pottery.

Salt facilities successful North Korea amusement seawater processing

To trial whether the tract had really been utilized to marque salt, the researchers compared the creation and salinity of ungraded from the brine retention diagnostic with the surrounding soil. They said the ungraded wrong the diagnostic had overmuch higher salinity, supporting the decision that the tract was utilized for brackish production.

The squad besides dated the pottery and said the finds from the precocious furniture beryllium to the Bronze Age astir 5,000 years ago, portion those from the little furniture day to the Neolithic Age astir 5,500 years ago.

The Archaeological Society of North Korea reviewed the site’s layout and the investigation of the pottery and soil. It confirmed that the precocious furniture dates to astir 5,000 years agone and the little furniture to astir 5,500 years ago, and said the remains amusement that ancient people successful the country produced brackish by boiling seawater.