Ancient site · Rock art
Bangudae Petroglyphs
Also known as Daegok-ri petroglyphs
The Bangudae petroglyphs are carvings on a cliff beside a tributary of the Taehwa River near Ulsan, South Korea, found in 1970. More than 300 images show whales, deer, tigers, boats and human figures, including some of the earliest known scenes of whale hunting anywhere.
The animals are drawn so carefully that many species can be identified, such as a mother grey whale carrying her calf. The main carvings are usually attributed to Neolithic people, with later additions continuing for thousands of years. The site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025.
- Dates
- c. 5000 BCE – 9th century CE (approximate)
- Still standing
- Yes
- Location
- 35.60° N, 129.19° E
How we know
Rock carvings cannot be radiocarbon dated, so their age is estimated from their style and from finds nearby; the start date is approximate.
Nearby sites
- Songguk-ri c. 850–300 BCE
- Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa dolmens c. 1000–300 BCE (Bronze Age; Gochang group c. 7th century BCE)
- Yoshinogari before 400 BCE – 3rd century CE
- Mausoleum of Tangun legendary date 2333 BCE; present monument built 1994
- Daisenryō Kofun mid-5th century CE
- Hashihaka Kofun mid-3rd to early 4th century CE (debated)
Related
- Jeulmun (Chulmun) culture archaeological culture