In South Korea, researchers identified a bronze weapon found on Mount Geumseong as a hwanja hwathon — a handheld gunpowder firearm that could have been used to fire arrows or bullets. It was made about 600 years ago, ZME Science reports, according to UNN.
Details
The weapon was discovered back in 2023 in the southwest of the country, but it became known about only now. It is approximately 23 cm long and weighs about 900 g.
An engraving bearing the weapon’s name, its weight, and details of the production supervisor and craftsman, as well as a partially erased date, has survived on the handle. By comparing the inscription with historical documents, researchers concluded that the gun may have been made in 1377 or 1437.
A rare weapon from a transitional era
It comes from a decisive transitional period between the late Goryeo Dynasty and the early Joseon Dynasty, when physical artifacts of firearms were extremely rare
Another symbol was found on the muzzle, which may have been an inventory or production number. According to researchers, this could indicate that the weapon was made as part of organized state production.
The discovery provides scientists with rare material evidence of how early gunpowder weapons developed on the Korean Peninsula.