Archaeologists have discovered South Korea’s earliest known ice storage chamber at the site of one of the nation’s most historically significant royal castles. At over 1,400 years old, the underground facility offers an unprecedented look into feudal Korean culture’s architectural complexities and advancements. The UNESCO World Heritage Site dates back to the Baekje Kingdom’s Sabi period (538–660 CE), and is strategically situated on a hilltop overlooking the Geum River basin. Credit: National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, BuyeoBeyond the freezer, archaeologists also discovered an important relic that speaks to the era’s cultural structure and religious beliefs. Similar jijingu have been found across the Baekje kingdom’s capital, and offer a window into religious observances at the time—a mix of indigenous Korean animism combined with outside Buddhist and Chinese influences.