Korean History › Prehistory › Jeulmun (comb-pattern pottery) period
Bangudae Petroglyphs (Ulsan)
Neolithic or early Bronze Age (dating debated); UNESCO 2025· Book, artwork, monument or document· Culture, religion & science
DebatedHistorians or scientists disagree about what happened, when, or why.
Rock carvings on a riverside cliff in Ulsan showing whales, whale hunts and land animals, among the world's earliest whaling images.
See it on the Korean History map →What happened
Found in 1971 on a cliff along the Daegok Stream in Ulju, Ulsan, the Bangudae petroglyphs (반구대 암각화) hold about 300 carved figures. Whales dominate, many identifiable by species, alongside deer, tigers, boars, people and boats whose crews harpoon whales. Since the Sayeon Dam was built downstream in 1965, the rock sits underwater part of each year, wearing the carvings. In 2025 UNESCO listed them, with nearby Cheonjeon-ri, as World Heritage.
Why it matters
If Neolithic, they are among the oldest known depictions of whaling anywhere, showing coastal people hunting large sea mammals thousands of years ago.
How we know
Surveys, rubbings and 3D scans of the panel. Whale bones pierced by bone harpoons at nearby Hwangseong-dong support an early date, but rock carvings cannot be dated directly.
Still debated
The date is disputed: many now argue Neolithic, around 6000–5000 BC; others say Bronze Age. How to protect the panel from flooding is also contested.
Connections (2)
▸Bangudae Petroglyphs (Ulsan) depict life in Jeulmun (comb-pattern pottery) periodDebated
The connection
If carved in the Neolithic, Bangudae records Jeulmun coastal life: whales spouting, boats with crews and harpoon lines, plus deer and tigers. That fits shell middens in the same region showing Neolithic people hunted and ate whales.
When and how
Ulju County, Ulsan; carvings found in 1971; proposed Neolithic dates run roughly 6000–3500 BC.
How sure are we?
Whale bones with embedded bone harpoon tips from the Neolithic Hwangseong-dong site in Ulsan show whaling then; the carvings themselves cannot be dated directly.
Debates and open questions
Some scholars read the style and overlapping carving layers as Bronze Age instead (see the Mumun link); the panel may span both periods.
▸Bangudae Petroglyphs (Ulsan) may instead date to Mumun (plain pottery) periodDebated
The connection
The main alternative view dates Bangudae to the Bronze Age Mumun period, when larger, more organized communities lived in the region. Supporters cite the style of the figures and comparisons with other Korean rock art, much of which is usually dated to the Bronze Age.
When and how
Ulju County, Ulsan; a Bronze Age date was widely held in the decades after the 1971 discovery and still has supporters.
How sure are we?
Dating rests on style, comparison with other rock art and nearby finds; no carving has been dated directly, so the link is inferred.
Debates and open questions
The panel may hold layers carved over many centuries, so both datings could be partly right.