Seafaring people_1

[Female student]
Wow… what are these?

[Narration]
These are shell mounds that were found in the ground in Dongsam-dong, Busan. Shell mounds, or middens, were a kind of Neolithic trash pile, used by people to dispose of their household waste. The middens became a repository for animal remains and fish bones and sometimes even harbored evidence of graves, houses and cooking fires. Shell middens such as these are a treasure trove for archaeologists.

[Female student]
The many clam shells in the mound indicate what the Neolithic people ate, right? What kind of shellfish did they eat most?

[Narration]
Oyster shells are the most common shellfish found in the shell middens. Occasionally, deep sea shells such as conch and abalone are found as well.

[Female student]
How were they able to gather shellfish from the bottom of the sea?

[Narration]
We suppose the Neolithic inhabitants of coastal areas were skilled divers, due to the fact that their skulls indicate osteoma of the external auditory canal. This is a type of ear problem caused by extended periods of diving: even modern day divers exhibit the same condition.