A special exhibition has opened its doors inviting visitors to witness a chronicle of boats and vessels throughout ancient history from all around the world.
On Jan. 5, the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage in Yonghae-dong, Mokpo-si, Jeollanam-do Province (South Jeolla Province), opened a new exhibition focusing on the history of ships. “History of Boats and Ships in Korea and the World” traces the footsteps of the world’s maritime history, giving us a glimpse of ancient boats and vessels from across the ages and from many parts of the world.
‘History of Boats and Ships in Korea and the World,’ currently underway at the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage, features a collection of models of ancient boats and ships from all around the world. Exhibits include a papyrus boat, an ancient Egyptian reed boat tracing back to about 4,000 B.C., Viking ships, galley ships, an ancient Greek ship propelled by rowing, and cog ships, a type of European merchant vessel from the Middle Ages.
A model of a wooden ship dating back to Joseon times is on display at the ‘History of Boats and Ships in Korea and the World’ exhibition.
The “History of Boats and Ships in the World” section of the exhibit features boats and ships that date back to as early as prehistoric times in North America and Africa, as well as vessels from ancient Greece. The exhibits here help visitors get a good understanding of the evolution of ship building and, also, of European civilization that spurred the development of vessels in the Mediterranean.
On top of that, the exhibit focuses on how the advancement of marine transportation led to European civilization, geographic discoveries and the blurring of barriers of space and time across the world.
The “History of Boats and Ships in Korea” section of the exhibit revolves around marine activities during the country’s prehistoric times, during the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.-A.D. 935), during Unified Silla (676-935) and through to Goryeo (918-1392) and Joseon (1392-1910).
The exhibits here shed light on our first encounters with traditional Korean vessels, or Hanseon (한선, 韓船), showing them alongside their ancient non-Korean equivalents, and showing the results of such encounters throughout marine history.
“This permanent exhibition will surely offer a great chance to understand the progress of human civilization over the ages, along with the history of marine transport in all countries around the world.”
More information about the exhibition can be found at http://bit.ly/1sGaa8f.
By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage
jiae5853@korea.kr
‘History of Boats and Ships in Korea and the World’ opens on Jan. 5 at the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage in Mokpo.
The National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage is situated off Sinan Beach in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province.
