South Korean troops find 600-year-old firearm mistaken for landmine
Soldiers conducting a routine search in South Korea discovered a metal object they initially suspected was a landmine, which experts later identified as an antique firearm estimated to be around 600 years old. Researchers say the find could push back the known timeline of firearm use in Korea by roughly a century, though the exact dating remains disputed among specialists.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
If confirmed, the discovery could force historians to revise assumptions about when gunpowder weapons were adopted on the Korean peninsula, suggesting the technology arrived or spread earlier than previously documented. The uncertainty over its precise age shows how a single artifact can reopen debates in military and archaeological history.
- An object mistaken for a landmine turned out to be an antique firearm.
- The gun may be around 600 years old, per researchers.
- The find could move back the timeline of firearms in Korea by about 100 years, though dating is still debated.
Source: gizmodo.com, 2026-10-01
Published there as: “South Korean Troops Thought They Found a Landmine. It Was a 600-Year-Old Gun”
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