Prehistoric Site 'Cheonjeon-ri Gakseok' Renamed... 'Ulju Cheonjeon-ri Inscribed Stones and Petroglyphs'

Designated as a National Treasure in 1973, Changed After 50 Years

The name of ‘Ulju Cheonjeon-ri Gakseok,’ which preserves traces of prehistoric times, will change for the first time in over 50 years.

This site, designated as a national treasure in May 1973, has been renamed ‘Ulju Cheonjeon-ri Inscription and Petroglyphs.’

Ulsan City made this decision by reflecting the opinions of many scholars and cultural and artistic figures, including Seongpa Keunsunim, the Jogye Order’s supreme patriarch and an artist, to properly capture the academic value of this cultural heritage that offers a glimpse into life from prehistoric times to the Silla period.

Ulsan Mayor Kim Du-gyeom is explaining the background and achievements of the name change promotion at the Cheonjeon-ri Rock Carving Site in Ulju on the 26th.

The old name ‘Ulju Cheonjeon-ri Gakseok’ was first reported to academia in December 1970.

It features animal and human patterns engraved during the Neolithic Age, various geometric patterns from the Bronze Age, and inscriptions commemorating the hunting activities of Silla royal family members and Hwarang warriors.

At the time of its designation as a national treasure in 1973, the inscriptions from the Silla period, whose production period and content were clear, were highly valued academically over the petroglyphs depicting geometric patterns, which led to the name ‘Gakseok’ being assigned.

Since then, various investigations have been conducted, and scholars have continuously suggested that the more inclusive and general term ‘petroglyphs’ is more appropriate than ‘Gakseok.’

In fact, among about 30 petroglyph sites in Korea, Cheonjeon-ri is the only site referred to as ‘Gakseok’ instead of ‘petroglyphs.’

Ulsan City judged that unifying the names of the two heritage sites?the Daegok-ri Bangudae Petroglyphs and Cheonjeon-ri Gakseok?under the UNESCO World Heritage listing name ‘Bangucheon Petroglyphs’ would help recognize them as the same heritage and aid in their World Heritage registration.

Last June, Ulsan City held a cultural heritage committee meeting and, in July, an academic seminar to discuss the name change of Ulju Cheonjeon-ri Gakseok, gathering opinions from scholars and citizens before applying for the name change to the Cultural Heritage Administration.

As a result, the name ‘Ulju Cheonjeon-ri Gakseok’ was finally changed to ‘Ulju Cheonjeon-ri Inscription and Petroglyphs’ after an on-site investigation by the Cultural Heritage Administration in August last year and a review by the Cultural Heritage Committee on February 15 of this year.

Kim Doo-gyeom, mayor of Ulsan, said, “We will accurately convey the meaning of our precious cultural heritage and make Ulsan a true cultural city,” adding, “We ask for the citizens’ great interest so that Ulsan can be reborn as a ‘Greater Ulsan’ where industry, culture, and arts harmonize.”

This year, Ulsan City plans to invest 3.6 billion KRW in petroglyph preservation as the top priority project for ‘Cultural City Ulsan.’

Additionally, they plan to newly promote the ‘World Archery Competition’ to widely publicize the historical value of the Cheonjeon-ri petroglyphs, which feature the first archery drawings on the Korean Peninsula.

Cheonjeon-ri Myeongmun and Petroglyphs in Ulju.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.