A historical site where relics from the Paleolithic Era through the Joseon Dynasty are buried has been found in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province.

The Cultural Heritage Administration said that after excavating and studying a housing construction site in Chungju city, it discovered relics from the Paleolithic Era of about 75-thousand years ago, as well as more than a thousand tombs and fortresses of the Silla, Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties.

In particular, the tombs offer evidence that the Chungju region was subjugated during the northern advance of the ancient Silla kingdom, which had been based in the southeast of the peninsula.

The administration also said that three seals were found in the tombs of the Goryeo Dynasty. The seals were decorated with animal patterns, and had been carved to imprint the Chinese character for the Phoenix, which has from ancient times been a symbol of Korean royalty.