Gimhae City's 350t dolmen confirmed as tomb not altar

▲ This photo, provided by Gimhae City, shows the excavation scene. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This photo, provided by Gimhae City, shows the earthenware found underneath the dolmen. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 31 (Yonhap) -- The largest dolmen on the Korean Peninsula turned out to be a tomb, not an altar.

Gimhae City, South Gyeongsang Province, said on the 31st that the Dolmen in Gusan-dong was finally confirmed as a tomb built around the 1st century BC.

Dolmen is a common relic from the prehistoric eras representing the tomb style of the Bronze Age.

However, experts disputed over the purpose of the dolmen in Gusan, a tomb or an altar.

Thorough investigation resulted in excavating a wooden coffin and related relics beneath the enormous rocks proving the dolmen’s purpose as a tomb.

Other found artifacts included pottery pieces shaped of a mounted bowl and jar.

The earthenware pieces, which seemed to have been produced around the 1C BC, hinted that the tomb was made around that period.

This largest dolmen on the Korean Peninsula, 10 meters long, 4.5 meters wide, 3.5 meters high and weighing 350 tons, was discovered during the construction of designated residential areas in Gusan-dong in 2007.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved