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The Drawing of the Petroglyphs in Daegok-ri

All the figures drawn on the Daegokri petroglyph were recorded with polyethylene. 

And we drew it on a tracing paper with a color oil pen, 

and then connected the sheets to complete the entire drawing.

Petroglyphs in Daegok-ri was discovered

(From left, Kim Jung-bae, Lee Yoong-jo, and Moon Myeong-dae)

World's Best Illustrated Whale Book and Picture of Whaling Found 50 Years Ago

2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Daegok-ri Petroglyphs(National Treasure No. 285) in Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan. This was discovered on December 25, 1971 by Kim Jung-bae, Moon Myeong-dae, and Lee Yoong-jo, which represents the Korean prehistoric petroglyphs along with the Cheonjeon-ri Petroglyphs(National Treasure No. 147) in Dudong-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan. Daegok-ri Petroglyphs have drawn about 250 naturalistic figures such as people, whales, turtles, boats, nets, deer, tigers, and wild boars, attracting great attention from domestic and overseas experts. It is different from the Cheonjeon-ri Petroglyphs, which mainly depicts geometric shapes such as rhomboids and concentric circles. The nature of being at the whaling site has created the world's best illustrated whale book.

We did a survey and found that these petroglyphs had been painted more than four times. And it was revealed that among the many paintings, the picture of two ships catching a whale together, and the picture of dragging a caught whale were drawn first. And the body structure and ecological characteristics of more than 11 whales were embodied, and whaling tools such as nets and harpoons were drawn together. Looking at the shapes of land animals such as tigers, deer, and wild boar drawn on the picture, we can see the interests of each period, lives, and animal habitats. The people who painted on the rocks of Daegok-ri were not the people who collected food from the mountains and hunted animals, but the people who went out to the sea and caught whales. They witnessed not only gray whale, but also northern right whale, southern right whale, minke whale, bryde's whale, blue whale, humpback whale, sperm whale, killer whale, beaked whale, pacific white-sided dolphin. Those who left this petroglyph made whaler, harpoon and net to catch the whale. And they painted their own images of catching whales while throwing harpoons at whales in the sea and fighting.

A view of petroglyphs in daegok-ri

Cultural Customs of Old Koreans We Didn't Know Through Historical Data

This petroglyph shows the life of the former inhabitant of the prehistoric Korean peninsula. It is not described in 『The Heritage of the Three States』, nor is it known as a myth or legend. It is about the life of Koreans who lived whaling based on Ulsan Bay and the East Sea. It is hard to say for sure when the protagonists of this story started making ships and when they started catching whales. However, considering the materials and themes of paintings, traces of material culture, indirect data related to whaling, and the formative style of paintings, it seems to have started at least 5,000 years ago. In other words, the latest research shows that it started before the mid Neolithic period.

In the early days of discovering prehistoric art, there was no objective evidence or absolute standard of chronology to reveal the time when they were produced. So they were caught up in forgery and authenticity. A typical example is the Altamira cave paintings. The bison and other animal figures in this cave paintings were so lively, and as clear as they had just been painted. And the fact that they were drawn deep in the cave, not the entrance, was contrary to the common idea of academia at the time. So Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola(1831–1888), the discoverer of Altamira, was accused of being the ‘mad man of Altamira’ by the intellectuals of the time, including Émile Cartailhac(1845–1921). Even as the cave paintings are humiliated by the forgery, he dies of mental disorder as a result of repressed anger.

The first discovered and the first claims are the subject of people's suspicions, and there seems to be no way to avoid grim verification. However, arbitrary judgments by misunderstanding, ignorance, and prejudice are evaluated through new cases or scientific verification. In the case of cave paintings, animals(such as buffalo, mammoths, wild horses) that disappeared with the Ice Age cannot be drawn by anyone who has not seen them. For this reason, the artworks left by the hunters of the Ice Age were given a legitimate evaluation. And the artworks were more clearly supported as similar-shaped figures were unearthed among the buried artifacts.

There was a misunderstanding in early studies on whales and boats, harpooners, periods of production, and cultural layers in the petroglyphs of Daegok-ri. As I said, there are more than 11 species of marine animals, including whales, turtles, and seals, in this petroglyph. These paintings are not abstract or schematic, but intellectual realism. And these are pictures that can be expressed only by people who can repeatedly experience and distinguish fine differences. So the figures in these petroglyphs are subjective, sensual, and full of realism. This tells us that people do not draw what they want or Idea, but rather the reality of life. The harpooner standing on the bow also became the epitome of the appearance in the whaling paintings of the world.

petroglyphs in daegok-ri

1. a magician

    petroglyphs in daegok-ri

2. picture of whale

petroglyphs in daegok-ri

3. drawing of '2'

Completeness of Analysis on Forms and Ingenuity of Shape

No one can deny that rock art or petroglyph is one of the universal cultural phenomena of prehistoric mankind. There is no continent where rock art was not found, and there seems to be no tribe that left no pictures. In the Kalahari Desert of the African continent, the Northern Territory of Australia, the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Taiga of Siberia, Tibetan Plateau of China, and the Amazon rainforest of Colombia, there are paintings of various shapes including animals that have disappeared from Earth. Among them are paintings of the Ice Age, paintings of the era without letters, and paintings of historical era.

However, if we look at the interpretation of the shape of the object and the shape of the animals, the petroglyphs of Daegok-ri have completeness and originality that are distinguished from similar theme paintings in other regions. It is certainly different from the Pektimmel remains of the Bering Strait, the Jalaburga remains of Karelia in northwestern Russia, and the Fjord remains of Scandinavia. The reason is that the types of whales are diverse, their ecological characteristics are expressed, the sight of whale catching is realistically depicted, the time-lapse is revealed, the objectivity to interpret the form, and the excellent formativeness.

Archaeopress published by Oxford and journals published by ICOMOS introduced outstanding research results on petroglyphs in Daegok-ri. And many overseas scholars are still interested in whales and picture of Whaling in petroglyphs found in Korea. Due to the interest of prehistoric scholars around the world, Ulsan Metropolitan City and the Cultural Heritage Administration are trying to make this petroglyph listed as a UNESCO World Heritage. One of the criteria for listing as a UNESCO World Heritage is ‘Outstanding Universal Value’. What is clear is that the Daegok-ri petroglyphs have world-class excellence. However, it is regrettable that the original shape of the space is not preserved. The dam built near the petroglyphs has changed the landscape around it.

The fully submerged Bangudae Petroglyph Rock (2020.7.28.) ⓒYonhapnews

The Daegok-ri Petroglyphs is the best cultural scripture of the Korean people recorded in pictorial letters

What if the Daegokri petroglyph and Cheonjeonri petroglyph were not found in Ulsan? If so, Ulsan's urban scenery would have been quite different from now. There would not have been a petroglyph museum and a whale museum, and there would have been no whale festival in Nam-gu, Ulsan. And there would have been no various decorations depicting whale sculptures and shapes in petroglyphs throughout the city. There would not have been any water-related issues, and Daegok Dam would not have been built. If so, the Daegok Museum would not have been built. South Korea would not have joined The International Whaling Commission(IWC), and Ulsan would not have held a committee. We would not have done various performances to register UNESCO World Heritage as now.

In this regard, the petroglyph of Daegok-ri was a catalyst that changed the cityscape of Ulsan and enhanced the city's dignity. In addition, experts from various fields such as whales, whaling, and prehistoric art are paying attention, and it is a competitive cultural heritage in the international community. World's Best Illustrated Whale Book and Picture of Whale, a formative language translation of whaling is nowhere else in the world except Ulsan. Korea and Ulsan do not seem to know this true value yet. In retrospect, we have never treated this petroglyphs to the level of global cultural heritage in the 50 years since they were discovered. Rather, extreme collectivism occurred on the grounds of lack of water and preservation. And the strange people who thought development was the best misleading the core of the problem. Meanwhile, the petroglyphs were flooded and then repeatedly exposed to the surface. Such a situation is ongoing, and this is the way the cultural assets of the Republic of Korea are managed. People say that the nationality of the Republic of Korea has increased. However, the national policy on cultural heritage and the extreme selfishness of civil society are still at the level of underdeveloped countries.

Daegok-ri petroglyphs should be treated to suit the nationality of the Republic of Korea even now. The authorities should not only talk or promise, but also lower the level of the dam immediately and do what they can do next. At the same time, the research capacity should be gathered to reveal the archetype of Korean national culture. The National Petroglyph Institute or The Prehistoric Art and Culture Research Institute shall be established to promote research, preservation, and new value added. This petroglyphs is the best cultural scripture of the Korean people that recorded Korean culture in picture letters. This is a more valuable and lively documentary heritage and artwork than ‘The Heritage of the Three States’.