I bet the octopus were having fun changing their chromatophores to match the china pattern. Shame they had to die for historians to find the pottery though.
Octopus unearths 900-year-old hidden treasure
By RICHARD SHEARS – Last updated at 13:41pm on 24th July 2007It is a story that combines all the great mysteries and exciting discoveries of the sea – an octopus hauled onto a fishing boat with valuable ancient pottery attached to its suckers.
Conjuring up visions of ancient mariners and sailing ships laden with fabulous wares, Korean fisherman Kim Yong-Chul pulled up more octopus, most of which had shards of pottery attached to their tentacles.
Now the chance discovery is being hailed as one of the great undersea treasure discoveries of modern times.
Officials at the National Maritime Museumin Seoul say the pottery dates back to 12th century, when the Koryo Dynasty ruled the Korean peninsula.
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The extraordinary discovery on what was for 58-year-old Mr Kim another ‘day at the office’ began when he took his small boat out from the town of Taean, 60 miles south west of Seoul. As usual, he was hoping for a good catch of webfoot octopus, which are a delicacy in Korea.
But on this particular day, he decided to try somewhere new, a few miles south of his regular fishing spot.
Casting out a long line, he felt a familiar tug and hauled up his first octopus of the day. He was puzzled by several blue objects attached to its suckers and thought at first they were shells.
But when he examined them, he realised they were pieces of pottery. Not realising he was on the point of making an incredible discovery, he cast out his line again and again, bringing in more octopus with shards of pottery attached.
Then he brought one up with a whole plate caught on its tentacles.
