Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology

The Korean Society of Wood Science & Technology (한국목재공학회)
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Chemical Composition of Archaeological Woods Submerged in the Seawater

수침고목재(水浸古木材)의 화학조성(化學組成)

  • Kim, Yoon-Soo (College of Agriculture, Chonnam National Univ.) ;
  • Bang, Joo-Wan (College of Agriculture, Chonnam National Univ.) ;
  • Kim, Ik-Joo (Preservation Center for Marine Artefacts at Mokpo) ;
  • Choi, Kwang-Nam (Preservation Center for Marine Artefacts at Mokpo)
  • 김윤수 (전남대학교 농과대학) ;
  • 방주완 (전남대학교 농과대학) ;
  • 김익주 (목포 해양유물 보존처리소) ;
  • 최광남 (목포 해양유물 보존처리소)
  • Received : 1990.02.20
  • Published : 1990.06.30
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Abstract

The chemical Composition of Chinese red pine (Pinus massoniana) submerged in the Yellow Sea for more than 700 years has been examined. When compared to the recent wood, the marked chemical changes in the waterlogged wood is the higher amount of lignin with lesser amount of holocellulose and abnormally high ash content. In the heavily degraded samples, the degradation of cellulose is more severe than that of hemicellulose. However, hemicellulose is much more attacked than the cellulose at the initial stage of deterioration in the sea water. Chemical analysis suggests that the cellulolytic marine microorganisms, whether they are fungi or bacteria. can be regarded as the primary agents for the destruction of the archaeological woods submerged in the sea water.

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