영남지역 선사 암각화의 성격

Abstract

Our Rock Arts have primarily been found since 1970s. However, it is Yeongnam Province that most of the Korean Rock Arts are found. Currently only about 20 rock arts exist here in Yeongnam except for what can be called ‘Rocks with the Hole.’ There is a viewpoint that the archtype of the Rock Arts being found around Goryeong and Gyeongju is of faces, grips of swords, shields and faces of ghosts. By contrast, it is thought that the trait of the prehistoric Rock Arts found in Central Asia, Mongolia, America is something mingled between human faces and the sun. According to certain literatures such as Samguksagi, the political parties of the ancient Yeongnam Province are clearly different from those of other areas of ancient Korea in terms of their political practices. It seems that the communication between the ancient Yeongnam Province and other parts of ancient Korea is possible only through the southern sea, the eastern sea, Nakdong River, and some other main rivers or creeks. Thus, here we come to have two tentative conclusions: 1) most(nearly all) Rock Arts are only found in Youngnam Province, and 2) what the crucial traits of those have in common is closely related to such geological and environmental characters of Yeongnam Province.