Ulsan: A set of prehistoric petroglyphs located in southeastern South Korea is likely to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, people familiar with the matter said Monday. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), an advisory body to UNESCO, has recommended the inclusion of the Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream on the UNESCO World Heritage list, following its review of the nomination, they said.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a recommendation by ICOMOS is deemed a preliminary approval for UNESCO World Heritage status. The final decision will be made at the upcoming World Heritage Committee meeting in Paris in July. South Korea applied for the UNESCO listing of the petroglyphs, located in Ulsan, in January last year.
The petroglyphs site is a single property that includes the Petroglyphs of Bangudae Terrace-a National Treasure-with a high concentration of engraved images, as well as the Petroglyphs of Cheonjeon-ri. The engraved images include numerous humans, animals, ships, tools, and nets. Experts say the petroglyphs are presumed to have been made some time between the late Neolithic period and the Bronze Age.
The petroglyphs, however, are only visible for four months of the year because an artificial water storage facility, constructed in 1965-before the images were discovered-submerges them under water for the rest of the year. The engravings on the rock face of Bangudae, located on the lower part of a cliff on a tributary of a river in Ulsan, were first discovered in 1971 and were designated as the country's National Treasure No. 285. Bangudae was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2011.