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The Ceonjenli rock engravings contain many drawings from three different times, which are drawings of animals presumed as from hunting period, abstract drawings from the Bronze Age when farming was a major living means and traces from Shilla of Three Kingdoms Period.
When, why they were drawn for and what meaning they tried to convey. Especially, it is not an easy job to find out the symbolic meanings of geometrical drawings so that it is regretful that the studies of archeology and art history have not been given a clear explanation. Accordingly, the job for interpreting those meanings of symbols might be suited to artists. The interpreting attempt as a painter can be a way of many approaches to read abstract symbols and designs of the Chenjeonli rock engravings.
When looking at the drawings of plants of Cheonjeonli limitedly among various abstract symbols as major designs, Cheonjeonli is a creature of farming age. This is shown by plant drawings, such as securing foodstuffs and good seeds, propagating, hoping to have favorable agricultural life and be looked after by nature, etc. Besides, starting from the reports on concrete evidences of agriculture in Ulsan area has strengthened the fact that the Cheonjeonli rock engravings are the reflections of agricultural age. Particularly, they show the similarity with the design of rice plants in Hamodo in China and the rock engravings on a plant god in Janggoon Cliff in Yeonoon port of China. It is important to note that these areas were engaged in agriculture and they have the same background of origination as the Cheonjeonli.
Therefore, the plant drawings of Cheonjeonli are analysed based on the thinking faculties of agriculture and can be categorized in five different themes on the drawings.
The images of the God of cereals can be considered in relation with worshipping plant gods, which are the personification of plants and express a hope for good harvest by leaning on divine power.
The images of sprouts show the unification of an image itself with the incarnation of a fervent hope in the same manner as one can grow a hope or a dream by looking at sprouts and wild flowers at every turn of fields.
The expressions of bulbous plants underground shows an issue of seeds and earth by double lining. By doing this, they did not miss the truth of reverse sides which are covered. On peach drawings a new technique is applied when expressing their inside and outside. This refreshing experience may have drawn an artist's attention to the picture plane.
The images of chestnuts and acorns are well formed with their own features. Drawing lines vertically or obliquely endows the full picture plane with directional confidence, which occupies and unifies the whole in vitality.
The drawings of trees express the present with the feelings of wind and growth. In addition, there are images of fields or bean sprouts. The images of the newly cultivated fields convey the power of the earth and a hope for being taken care of by nature. And the images of bean sprouts seem to reflect an interest on a new thing. The drawing of sprouting a seed of rice plant shows the meaning of a new agricultural object.
Accordingly, on the drawings of Cheonjeonli rock engravings the images of plants are shown as reflection of the means of life of the time. But here one question is confronted, which is whether the geometrical and abstract designs of the Cheonjenli rock engravings are originally differentiated from others. It has been hard to find any similarity with rock engravings by pastoral tribes in northen Asia for years of the author's experiences and researches. As the study went on, the similarities between the Cheonjeonli rock engravings and the rock engravings on the southern shore areas in China were recognized not only in the images themselves but the formal logic of interpreting and expressing the images. Therefore, a conclusion can be deduced that the Cheonjeonli rock engravings were produced by a social stratum that had memories of ocean. From now on, the ocean elements of the south should draw attention to academic interests in the study of interpretation of the geometrical and abstract drawings of Cheonjeonli.
Also, it can be noted that aesthetic models in different times have been reflected on various elements in Korean art. These can offer important evidences in contemplation on aboriginality of art as well as be used as new materials for pursuing Korean aesthetics. So, the necessity of the study on the Cheonjeonli rock engravings should be emphasized. The horizon of analysis on primitive art can be broaden when the study on recognizing the peculiarity of primitive thinking system different from that of western's is proceeded.
In addition, the common forms of development in image descriptions are found while attempting image categorization according to the orders and methods in the Cheonjeonli rock engravings. There are formative expressions which western logic or science cannot be easily getting near. Borrowing a formative power, a unique vision is stood out with an efficient application of multiple visual points and synchronism in one picture plane ignoring time sequence. Even though the subjectivity of artists interferes in no small sum of the Chenjeonli rock engravings, they are not standardized or personalized, which preserves convictions with objectivity.
On the study of interpreting Cheonjeonli rock engravings, various approaches should be tried out in the future, such as on artistic inspiration, a position of an artist, comparative analysis of myths and so on. Through these attempts and with development of deeper researches, the life and art of ancient people are expected to bear a life and breath with us, not just their own.