• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.22
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• pp.69-84
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• 2019

This study investigated the formal characteristics and chemical compositions of eighty beads excavated from a Silla tomb complex at Deokcheon-ri, Uljin in order to reveal the methods of production and the characteristics of the raw materials involved, thereby illuminating characteristics of the relics from each tomb. The beads excavated from these Silla tombs include one curved bead, one tubular bead, and 78 globular beads. Among them, the curved and tubular beads and three globular beads were identified to be made of minerals, and the remaining 75 beads are made of glass. Most of the glass beads are thought to have been produced using the drawing technique. The characteristics of the beads were classified according to their site of excavation. The globular beads from Tomb No. 34 belong to the lead-barium glass and potash glass groups, indicating that these beads were produced at a relatively earlier period in time. The glass beads excavated from the tombs in the northern portion of the complex differ in color and chemical composition from those in the southern portion, which indicates the character that each group of beads had different aspect according to site location. Considering that the excavated beads were mainly from fifth- and sixth-century tombs, it is likely that certain groups of people living around Uljin used and buried beads in their tombs. As the governance of Silla became more centralized in the sixth century, the use of beads for burial purpose appears to have come to an end in this region.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.26
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• pp.83-182
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• 2021

This study summarized the results of the conservation treatment and investigation on the production method of the golden crown (Treasure No. 339) excavated from Tomb No. 129 (also known as Seobongchong Tomb) in Noseo-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. The golden crown from Seobongchong Tomb was discovered during the excavations conducted by the Museum of the Government-General of Korea in 1926 during the Japanese colonial era. It is currently in the collection of the National Museum of Korea. A total of six Silla golden crowns have survived in Korea, among which the crown from Seobongchong Tomb is the only example with a dome-shaped hemispherical decoration attached with a bird ornament while otherwise showing the typical features of Silla crowns. The crown had been repaired following its excavation using metallic materials and adhesives, but due to the partial deformation and damage brought about by the repair materials, it required further conservation treatment. This article describes in detail the overall process of the conservation treatment and the restoration of the original form of the golden crown from Seobongchong Tomb, particularly the method of reinforcing the joints to secure the stability of the crown. It presents the characteristics of the crown's production as revealed in the investigation during the conservation treatment, and further analyzes the relationship of this crown from Seobongchong Tomb with other Silla crowns through a comparison of their production techniques. The investigation revealed that the crown was primarily decorated with golden sequins at the time of its production. At a later point some of the sequins in the upright ornament were replaced with comma-shaped jade beads and additional comma-shaped jade beads were added to the headband. In order to determine if such modifications to the decoration had occurred with other Silla crowns, the decoration of the six extant Silla golden crowns were investigated. The crown from Cheonmachong Tomb features traces of this same modification to the decoration and possesses other similarities with the crown from Seobongchong Tomb.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.63-73
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• 2016

This study defined material and characteristics of 24 glass fragments and 26 whole glass beads. The feature of glass beads shape are divided into 5 types following color, size, weathering condition and manufacturing techniques. Through the chemical composition, the first and second type is soda glass, the third type is potash glass, the fourth and fifth type is lead barium glass. This site showed the aspect that the chemical composition is changed according to the feature of glass shape and was found that various chemical compositions. Looking at the flow of glass culture, the tomb that are lead barium glass IItype and potash glass I, IItype is relatively preceding period and the tomb that are soda glass and lead barium glass IIItype is following period.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.39
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• pp.219-242
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• 2006

Quantitative analysis and provenance interpretation of the raw materials for the jade (amazonite) excavated from the Asan Sijeonri site were studied. Geology of the Sijeonri site composed mainly of Precambrian metasedimentary rocks and the alluvium ranges extensively. In the site, amazonite jade was excavated in the Bronze Age No. 4 circular-shaped resident site. The jade has a comma-shaped and shows light green color with so much cracks. The jade is silicate mineral of columnar habits that is shown white streak, and has fine cleavages with vitreous luster. As the analytical results, this jade was identified as a feldspar-group mineral gemologically called amazonite that is mineralogically microcline formed to intergrowth of albite and orthoclase. Internal textures of the amazonite present Na-end member of albite coexisting with K-end member of orthoclase that are replaced each other along the cleavages and twin planes with several ${\mu}m$ scales. Therefore, the amazonite is one mineral phase combined with albite and orthoclase by substitution of $Na_2O$ and $K_2O$, respectively. The Danyang are is an unique producing site of amazonite in South Korea, and Gongju Janggimyeon was known as microcline provenance to the utmost area from the Sijeonri site. In the marginal area of southern coast in Korean Peninsula, Bronze Age amazonite has been excavated in several sites, where original provenance of the raw amazonite is not identified. The Sijeonri site does not show any facilities of producing and processing traces for amazonite jade. Also, only one jade was collected in the Sijeonri site. Therefore, there is not possibility that the provenance of raw jade is the Sijeonri area. To explain original provenance of the amazonite jade, migration path, manufacturing process and archaeological interpretation are required.