South Korea finds oldest surviving gunpowder weapon in Naju

Soldiers discovered a bronze fire tube, known as a hwatong, while performing a mine-detection sweep on Geumseongsan mountain in Naju, South Korea.

This weapon, which fires gunpowder-propelled arrows or shot, represents the earliest known gunpowder weapon found in the country to date. The Naju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage identified the object as a Hwangja Hwatong.

The artifact features 28 inscribed characters that detail its production, including the weight and the names of the supervisor, Noksa An Hyu-bo, and the artisan, Seok. Researchers used the Sexagenary Calendar, a 60-year repeating cycle, to determine the production date. The weapon dates to either 1377 or 1437. Both possible dates predate the previous oldest known Korean gunpowder weapon by more than a century.

The institute noted that the combination of the recorded findspot and the detailed inscription gives the artifact exceptional research value.