고인돌 암각화의 생성 배경과 상징성 연구

A Study on the Origin of Petroglyphs and Their Symbolism

Petroglyphs in Korea are usually founding in the southern region. These rock drawings are religious artworks produced by megalithic communities of the Bronze Age. Drawings usually depict stone daggers and arrowheads, which were the popular burial accessories of the time. Korean petroglyphs were first introduced when megalithic culture from the southern hemisphere landed on the southern coast of the Korean peninsula and settled in the southern inland while northern style petroglyphs came down via the eastern coastline and settled in the southeast coast. In the Bronze Age, rock drawings were introduced when the builders of dolmens engraved figures on the cover stone of dolmens. Engravings were that of stone daggers and stone arrowheads in real size or in geometric forms. Thus, rock drawings are distinguished into the stone sword or stone arrowhead type and Liaoning type. Stone daggers and stone arrowheads are the representative artifacts found within dolmens symbolizing the authority of manhood. These weapons were symbols of authority for the user in life time, however, after the death of the user, rock drawings of the weapons were drawn on the cover stone of dolmens as a way of making the status and authority eternal. With the deification of ancestors, real depictions of stone daggers and stone arrowheads were changed into geometric depictions. Here, ancestor gods and god of abundance in agriculture are the one and the same. In this sense, the stone daggers and arrowheads type petroglyphs and Liaoning type petroglyphs suggest that the idea of next life, the belief of everlasting soul and worship of ancestors existed. It seems megalithic tribes buried the deaths in dolmens and at the same time carried out the funeral rites praying for abundance and fertility. Megalithic tribes in the southern region of Korea came to produce its own petroglyphs of god images in the Bronze Age by appropriating the megalithic culture of the South and the North that migrated through the coast. Stone daggers and arrowhead type and Liaoning type petroglyphs suggest that there were frequent exchanges between the megalithic culture of the southern Korea and the northern people via the eastern coast. Furthermore, dolmen petroglyphs found in this regions provides imporant evidences for understanding ritual activities and theology of the settlers in the Bronze Age. Stone dagger and arrowhead drawings symbolizing the authority of manhood, geometric symbols of stone dagger and arrowhead symbolizing male deities, female genitalia petroglyphs symbolizing abundance and fertility, and Liaoning type petroglyphs symbolizing femal deities are the most representative of dolem petroglyphs. Accordingly, one can argue that megalithic society maintained patrilineal succession and blood tie community with agricultural abundance and fertility as the highest values. In conclusion, dolmen petroglyphs in Korea is an independent style while belong to pacific rim petroglyph cultural area.