Whale bone with embedded antler harpoon tip designated national folk cultural heritage

A whale bone with an embedded deer-antler harpoon tip — a relic that sheds light on Neolithic marine fishing and whaling — has been officially designated a national folk cultural heritage, with its name updated to more precisely reflect the artifact's materials and significance.

The folk cultural heritage subcommittee of the Cultural Heritage Administration's Heritage Committee approved the designation at a review session on July 14, renaming the artifact from "whale bone with embedded bone tip" to "deer-antler harpoon tip embedded in whale bone" to better capture its composition and historical meaning. The administration formally announced the designation Wednesday. The newly designated relics comprise two sets of four pieces in total: a whale tail vertebra with a harpoon tip, and a whale shoulder blade with a harpoon tip.

The artifacts were excavated alongside Neolithic pottery, with deer-antler harpoon tips driven deep into whale vertebrae — physical proof of marine fishing and whaling during the Neolithic period. No comparable parallel exists at home or abroad, giving the find exceptional rarity and academic value.

Recognized for its singular historical and scholarly significance, the artifact was designated a tangible cultural heritage of Ulsan Metropolitan City in 2015 before receiving its new national-level designation. It will now receive state conservation, management oversight and funding support.

"The deer-antler harpoon tip embedded in whale bone is, alongside the Bangucheon petroglyphs inscribed as a World Heritage site, a key cultural asset that illuminates Ulsan's prehistoric whaling culture," a city official said. "We will expand exhibition and education programs and cultural content linked to the artifact."

The whale tail vertebra from the collection is currently on display at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul as part of the special exhibition "Our Table," running through Oct. 25. A replica is on display at the history gallery of the Ulsan Museum, while the whale shoulder blade and deer-antler harpoon tip are kept in the museum's storage.