울산 지역 암각화의 현황과 가치 = A Study on the Current Status and Value of Petroglyphs in Ulsan

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The Neolithic Age and the Bronze Age, which are prehistoric times in human history, were transformed in various ways, making them a generator and a creation period of new culture and civilization. Among them, the Bronze Age had special significance in human history. The representative examples of civilized products of the Bronze Age are dolmens and petroglyphs, which are tombs in which bodies and burial items are buried, and petroglyphs are paintings carved on rocks and cliffs. Petroglyphs are an invaluable cultural heritage in that they convey various aspects of life and rituals of the Bronze Age through pictures rather than letters. The current status of the Ulsan Bangudae petroglyphs and Cheonjeon-ri petroglyphs, their production techniques, values, and ways to utilize them for preservation were briefly reviewed.
Ulsan Bangudae Petroglyphs and Cheonjeon-ri Petroglyphs are highly valued as heritage representing the Bronze Age and were listed as World Heritage Sites in 2025. This place is recognized as a sacred space where prehistoric beliefs or religious rituals were performed, and such recognition is believed to have been linked to the rock faith. Ulsan Bangudae Petroglyphs are unique prehistoric paintings and are of high importance and value as they are unprecedented in mankind. In addition, the Ulsan Cheonjeon-ri petroglyphs are engraved with various realistic animal images and geometric patterns related to prehistoric times. In particular, the method of grasping and expressing only the characteristics of the object in order to express it concisely is an aspect that raises the timing of the establishment of Korean art history as an expression technique that is ahead of its time. As such, the two petroglyphs are cultural heritages that can examine the beginning of the history of Korean stone art, and reasonable and irreversible preservation measures and measures should be prepared in various aspects to prevent further damage.