Location of major dinosaur footprint fossils in Changwon

While the NC Dinos professional baseball team is driving on without a stop, Changwon is being re-examined as a region of prehistoric dinosaur habitation. In places around Changwon such as Goyeon-ri, Jindong and Hogye-ri, Naeseo, dinosaur footprint fossils have been discovered in great numbers and the areas are considered to have been a kind of dinosaur playground. However, active promotion for dinosaur footprint fossil sites, the utilization of them as tourism sites and systematic preservation methods haven’t been prepared yet.

Last month, about 20 herbivorous dinosaur footprint fossils, which were 130-150cm in width and 40-50cm in length were discovered by Sung-dae Kim, a fossil researcher. The Museum of Changwon University said that those footprints were presumed to be from the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic Era based on the facts that they had clear wave patterns and they were discovered near the dinosaur footprint site in Gohyeon-ri. Including the footprint fossils recently discovered and the dinosaur footprint fossil monument No. 105 and No. 170 of Gyeongsangnam-do, there are seven dinosaur footprint fossils in Changwon to date.

It shows that not just a few dinosaurs lived throughout Changwon, but perhaps many. However, the city is not fully utilizing its historical resources while Goseong and Yeosu are actively promoting theirs. All the city did is just install a life-sized dinosaur model and an observatory at the spot of Yongchu Valley, where a dinosaur footprint had been discovered one year after the launch of the integration city.

Joo-yong Kim, an art and science researcher said, “As dinosaur footprint fossils are discovered one after another, some say, ‘Dinosaurs may have climbed all of the famous mountains in Changwon.’ Though there can a be budget problem, through comprehensive maintenance such as installing a notice board for citizens by associating with dinosaur footprint fossil sites in Changwon and promoting it, ideas to make it successful, storytelling and tourism resources are needed… The university needs to plan an association with the community through various ways such as a dinosaur footprint promoting strategy contest exhibit targeting students.”

Lee Hun, reporter  20160189@Changwon.ac.kr

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