The National Museum of Korea on Tuesday reopened its Neolithic and Paleolithic period exhibitions which were temporarily closed last month for renovation.

Some 1,000 relics from the time periods are featured in the newly renovated exhibition halls. Of the items, about 600 are being exhibited for the first time.

The new rooms have the latest video features, strengthening the interactive aspect of the exhibitions.

The museum’s Paleolithic section features some 500 stoneware relics, which are believed to date back 40,000 years. The featured relics were discovered across the Korean Peninsula over the past 10 years. Notable items include stone axes and arrowheads.

The Neolithic section, on the other hand, is divided into three different sections: lives of hunters, gatherers, fishermen and farmers in the Neolithic period; Neolithic earthenware discovered in different regions of Korea; and Neolithic spirituality and arts.

Visitors will be given an opportunity to get a glimpse of the oldest boat and paddles in Korea, that are believed to have been used during the Neolithic period in what is now Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. Another exhibited item is a piece of whale bone struck with a harpoon, considered proof of whaling on the Korean Peninsula during the Neolithic period. Some 70 pieces of Neolithic earthenware, discovered in different regions of Korea, will be displayed together so viewers can compare each item’s distinctive features.

For more information, call (02) 2077-9000 or visit www.museum.go.kr.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)