A kind of underground “refrigerator” which is believed to have been built in the Baekje Kingdom (18 BC to AD 660) has been unearthed at a site in Iksan, North Jeolla Province.
The Cultural Heritage Administration announced Friday that it confirmed two low-temperature storage facilities made of stones at a construction site at Seodong Historical Park, at Geumma-myeon, Iksan-si.
The two excavated units of similar sizes were located side by side. The facilities were both equipped with ventilation holes on their eastern wall.
“It is believed to be a method of naturally discharging the hot air inside the storage facility to keep them cool,” said the CHA.
This is the first time a cooling storage facility from the Baekje era has been found with a ventilation system, according to the CHA.
