Bangudae Petroglyphs

The Bangudae Petroglyphs are pre-historic engravings on flat vertical rock faces on the riverside of the Daegokcheon stream, a branch of the Taehwa River, which runs eastward and joins the East Sea at Ulsan [1]. They are the National Treasure of South Korea No. 285 and were registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025 [1]. The site presents a vivid and intricate portrayal of whaling [1]. The carvings, featuring animals, human figures, hunting scenes, concentric circles, diamond patterns, and inscriptions, exhibit remarkable realism and energy [1]. The Bangudae rocks are around 8 m wide and around 5 m high [1]. In total, 312 engravings can be seen, of which 200 figures are accounted for as the animals and 23 are unidentified creatures [1]. Animals whose species can be identified include large cetaceans such as the northern right whale, the humpback whale, the right whale, the gray whale, and the sperm whale [1].