The Silla Dynasty Also Had Ice Storage Warehouses

Just like modern people enjoy iced Americanos in the summer, people in the Silla Dynasty also consumed cool ice in midsummer. The secret lies in the Seokbinggo (Stone Ice House). In an era without electricity or freezers, the Silla people stored natural ice, collected from rivers in winter, in Seokbinggo to keep it from melting until midsummer. The core of Seokbinggo is its scientific internal structure. The ceiling was built with a double arch structure to block external heat, and soil and grass were planted on top to prevent heat transfer. Furthermore, warm air generated inside was naturally discharged through the ventilation holes at the top, and the water created by melting ice was designed to be immediately drained out through the sloped floor drainage system. It was essentially an ancient 'natural refrigerator' created by the wisdom and outstanding architectural science of our ancestors.