▲ A whaling scene depicted in the Bangudae Petroglyphs is seen in this image provided by the municipality of Ulsan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- A rare artifact providing direct evidence of Neolithic whaling on the Korean Peninsula has been designated as a National Folk Cultural Heritage, the Korea Heritage Service said Tuesday.

 

The agency said the "deer antler harpoon point embedded in whale bones," excavated from Hwangseong-dong in Ulsan in southeastern South Korea, has been granted the designation.

 

The artifact, housed at the Ulsan Museum, was unearthed in 2010. One sharpened deer antler harpoon point was found lodged in part of a whale's tail vertebra, while another was embedded in part of its shoulder bone.

 

Examples of harpoon points remaining embedded in whale bones are extremely rare both in South Korea and abroad.

 

▲ A deer antler harpoon point embedded in whale bone is seen in this image provided by Ulsan Museum. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

The marks preserved on the whale bones are regarded as important evidence of subsistence activities during the period.

 

Radiocarbon analysis estimates the artifact dates to between 4,000 B.C. and 3,000 B.C., during the Neolithic period.

 

Deer antlers, valued for their hardness and durability, were widely used for prehistoric hunting tools, and the harpoon points offer insights into ancient tool-making techniques and patterns of use.

 

"The artifact directly illustrates the lifestyle, maritime activities, subsistence techniques and tool-making technology of prehistoric inhabitants of the Korean Peninsula, giving it significant historical and academic value," a Korea Heritage Service official said.

 

The whale bones and harpoon points are also linked to the "Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream," which were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list last year.

 

The Bangudae Petroglyphs, a national treasure carved into cliffs along Ulsan's Daegokcheon Stream, depict prehistoric whaling scenes, including the use of boats, harpoons and nets.

 

The Korea Heritage Service said the newly designated artifact is particularly valuable because it demonstrates that the petroglyphs depict actual whaling activities rather than merely symbolic or ritualistic representations.

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]