Bangudae Petroglyphs

The Bangudae Petroglyphs are located in Daegok-ri, Ulsan, South Korea. This site of substantial engraved rock art was rediscovered in 1971 and was designated as the 285th National Treasure of South Korea on June 23, 1995. The petroglyphs sit in an isolated forested area almost completely enclosed by steep mountains adjacent to the Daegok-cheon River, a tributary of the Taehwa River. There are three major panels in an area measuring 3 m in height and 10 m in length. A number of panels with similar rock-art motifs has been found nearby at the Cheonjeon-ni site.

It is commonly thought that the petroglyphs (Kr. amgakhwa or bawi geurim, 바위그림) at this site depict the physical embodiment of the hopes and wishes of prehistoric people. The petroglyphs were made to wish for a successful hunt or an abundance of prey. Rock art also serves to facilitate or symbolize religious rites, mythological or historical narratives, territorial markers, or decoration.

A few Korean scholars originally speculated that this rock-art tradition came from South Asia, but now it has generally come to be associated with rock art of the circum-Yellow Sea area and Northeast Asia. Thus, this site is an example of valuable cultural heritage because it provide clues as to the origins and movements of some of the first people in Korea. Also, since art is associated with religion, these stone carvings give clues to scholars about the society and customs of prehistoric people.

The petroglyphs are on a rock face shaped like the Korean letter 'ㄱ'. The cliff face is made of sedimentary rock and lies off a tributary of the Taehwa River. Stylistically, the engravings depict dynamic and vivid figures with the abundant use of line and dots.