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Name : Jeongok-li prehistoric
site
Appointment Category : National historic site No. 268
Location: Ilwon, Jeongok-li 528-1, Jeongok-eup, Yeoncheon-gun and Gonung-li
Date of Appointment : Oct. 2, 1979 |
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About Cultural Properties
This representative Paleolithic site in Korea was discovered by
an American soldier who visited Hantan river resort in winter of
1978, and found a stone implement on the ground. The site has been
noticed for its significance since then.
The soldier brought the found stone implement to the late Prof. Won-Ryong
Kim at Seoul National Univ. and Prof. Kim and Prof. Young-Hwa Jung at Youngnam
Univ. confirmed it as an Asheulean Paleolithic remain. The site became an internationally
recognized Paleolithic site. Jeongok-li prehistoric site is located in basalt
ground surrounded by Hantan river, in the south of downtown of Jeongok. Gneiss
and granite, which are metamorphic rocks formed in Precambrian period, are
the foundation. The rock layer was widely covered by basalt formed in the bottom
of Imjin and Hantan rivers by eruption from Pyonggang area of Gangwon-do. Red
clay accumulated layer and sand layer are formed on basalt, and upper clay
layer of this accumulative substance is Paleolithic culture layer, in which
many stone implements have been discovered.
Since finding of Asheulean stone implements including hand axes and cleavers
in 1978, research to identify characteristics of the site has been continued
and over 3000 pieces of remains were discovered through 11 excavations. The
finding of the stone works opened a new chapter of world Paleolith research
by modifying Moebius theory dividing Paleolithic culture into East Asia and
Africa-Europe by presence of stone works until late 1970s. In addition, it
encouraged many researches to understand Paleolithic culture in East Asia in
a new perspective, and produced large volume of Paleolith researches worldwide
as well as domestically.
Research on Jeongok-li prehistoric site led to the 4 th term of geological
research on area of Hantan and Imjin rivers, and the site attracts many geologists’
attentions, and provides important research material to geology as well as
archeology.
Currently in Jeongok-li prehistoric site, viewing facilities for Paleolithic
remains and resources, and outdoor structures that show the living in that
time are arranged harmoniously with natural environment to help with understanding
of Paleolithic age.
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