Comb-pattern Pottery: Korea's Oldest Style

Full transcript

Annyeong, yeoreobun! It's Yul. Let's go back. Way, way back. Before kings, before palaces, before writing. Thousands of years ago, people living along Korea's rivers made pots like this one. It's called comb-pattern pottery, in Korean, bitsalmunui togi.

Look at the lines. Short slashes, zigzags, and dotted patterns cover the whole surface. People made them by scratching the wet clay with a comb-like tool or a stick. That's where the name comes from. These patterns might have been decoration, or they might have helped the clay dry and fire more evenly. Maybe both.

Now look at the bottom. It's pointy! Why would anyone make a pot that can't stand up? Because these people lived by rivers and the sea, on sandy ground. You just push the pointed bottom into the sand, and it stands perfectly. Genius kitchen design.

Some of the most famous examples come from Amsa-dong, a Neolithic village right here in Seoul, on the bank of the Han River. People there lived in round pit houses, fished, gathered acorns, and slowly began farming. Today, you can even visit the reconstructed village site in eastern Seoul.

So when you look at this simple pot, think about it. Somebody, thousands of years ago, sat by the Han River, shaped this clay with their hands, and carefully scratched every line. The same river that runs past today's skyscrapers.

Yul's tip! This pottery is near the very beginning of the first-floor route. A lot of people walk past it fast to reach the gold crowns. Don't! Stop for one minute, look for fingerprints and tool marks, and say hello to Seoul's first neighbors.