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Considered as one of the important original art forms of Korea, the rock engravings of Bangudae are located on Daegok riverside area of 234-1, Daegok-li, Unyang-myon, Ulsan-goon, Kyungnam. The Daegok river is a small tributary which flows from north and joins the Taehwa river at Sayon-li, and the rock engravings are on the north-side wall of rock. They attracts an attention on the fact that the changes of tribal cultures in the both of land and sea are figuratively engraved in one picture plane.
The topics of rock engravings are mainly animals: on the right side, the topics reflecting hunting economy are shown, such as tigers, deers, roe deers, antelopes, wild boars, etc.. And on the left side, whales, turtles and other sea animals as well as whale fishing and fishing related tools are described to show fishing economy.
Among those animal descriptions, dears and wales particularly occupy the highest numbers. And as for whales, total 58 engravings are found, which indicates whales were the most often carved subject matter among any other animals. This leads an assumption that those engravings are related to the biggest whale fishing port, Banguhjin near the rock engraving area.
The descriptions of whales shows pertinent forms of expression according to each context, and the realism of their appearance is maximized. By looking at the rock engravings one can actually recognize what kind of whale is. In order to show Eubalaena glacialis, their jaw lines and fistulas have been typified. Eschrichtius robustus are characterized as an emphasized groove under their neck, which reveals objectivity in aesthetic consciousness. Also, there is a distinctive ecological description that a Mysticeti accompanies its young and helps it to breathe. If a whale's appearance is similar with other kinds, its body is carved overturned and emphasized the lines on the ventral so that one can distinguish the whale from others. This kind of point as a biological form is missed even in a pictorial book of the Korean whales. One can assume how advanced their power of observation and figurative expressions were at that time.
Furthermore, Physeter macrocephalus which can be seen in deep and far sea are described appropriately as a feature of their squared heads. Also, Globicephala macrorhynchus are expressed as the typical forms of their dorsal and pectoral fins. As for dolphins, their beaks, the location and highly protruding shape of their dorsal fins are characterized. Moreover, descriptive changes shows in engraving techniques. Orcinus orca have big distinctions from other whales on their high and perpendicular shape of dorsal fins as well as wide and big pectoral fins in a rounded scull shape. Also, their caudal fins have a 'V' shaped split and their both ends are smoothly sharpened to the backwards. These rock engravings of Orcinus orca are exactly the same as a real one. Apart from whales, two engravings that can be considered as sharks are found.
Besides, there are scenes of whale fishing. They show a fact that whale fishing was actively done at that time and there must have been professional whale fishing groups in Ulsan area.
The fundamental artistic creativity comes from an earnest desire of life, presented through subject matters chosen from nearby. These rock engravings of whales are artistic expressions that have historical and realistic factors. It is a big achievement that one can see the process of development from hunting, fishing to stock farming through the whales on the rock.
Real beauty can be well manifested when content and form harmoniously become one. This is a motive force of creating the results of historical development. With this regard, the pictorial meaning of whales on Bangudae should be valued much in the achievement of their realism accrued from the coherence in content and form.
By studying on the carving technique and the artistic form of Bangudae's rock engravings the following facts become recognized. The style of an early stage is faithful to the shapes of an object and the style is more and more true to life in the later ages. But again through simplification pictorial beauty with full maturity is at the zenith. In the next stage, the charming tension that was a distinctive feature of the previous stage becomes weakened but instead, decorative factors were adopted and popularized. Later, a brand new vision brought about a more simplified style. The development of Bangudae's rock engravings corresponds to that of a general principle of art. This proves the rock engravings on Bangudae is valuable in the history of pictorial art. Especially, the descriptions of whales not only show the artistic peculiarity of each age in technical aspects but they became stood out as an important subject matter at the later period of hunting period, which indicates there was a change in people's lives.