2 days ago
UNESCO World Heritage-listed petroglyphs in Ulsan to get safety buffer in 2029
Newly designated as part of the UNESCO World Heritage as "Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream in Ulsan," showing evidence of prehistoric marine fishing in East Asia, key sites will have a buffer from rising water levels during heavy rain from as early as 2029, when a gate at the spillway of Sayeon Dam is expected to be completed. The UNESCO designation was announced during the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in Paris, Saturday.
'It is estimated that the gate will be completed between late 2029 and early 2030. We will closely monitor and report the process to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee,' an official from the Korea Heritage Service told The Korea Herald on Sunday.
The project will be led by the Korea Water Resources Corp. and funded by the Ministry of Environment, the source added. The installation is aimed at preventing damage to the petroglyphs from seasonal flooding during monsoons.
The newly inscribed UNESCO World Heritage consists of the Daegok-ri Petroglyphs and Cheonjeon-ri Petroglyphs, both of which are also National Treasures, in Ulsan.
The petroglyphs show a diverse range of images carved by generations of local inhabitants using stone and metal tools spanning prehistoric and historic eras from 5,000 BC through the ninth century. The images include coastal animals such as whales, human figures, hunting scenes and concentric circles.
'The property is an exceptional piece of evidence offering a condensed picture of how coastal inhabitants of East Asia developed from a hunter-gather society through an agricultural society and on to the ancient state stage,' the Cultural Heritage Service commented.
The petroglyphs were discovered in 1971, six years after Sayeon Dam was built to secure drinking water and to prevent floods. An attempt was made in 2013 to protect the heritage sites from flooding by building a polycarbonate wall around the Bangudae petroglyph, which failed.
The designation as World Heritage was announced at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris. The inscription had been expected in May after the International Council on Monuments and Sites, a key advisory body to UNESCO, recommended their listing.
Efforts to inscribe the 'Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream' on the UNESCO World Heritage finally paid off after 15 years, as it was first added to the tentative list of World Heritage Sites in 2010.
South Korea holds a total of 17 UNESCO World Heritage properties, comprising 15 cultural and two natural sites.
In making its decision on the petroglyphs, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee recommended that it be informed of the progress of the gate installation and for the UNESCO World Heritage Center to be informed of major development plans that may impact the outstanding universal value of the heritage.
yunapark@
