• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.355-366
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• 2013

Diverse scientific analyses, including microstructure, ICP-AES, SEM-EDS, and P-XRF(Bench Top type and Gun type), were carried out on 6 bronze artefacts which handed from generation to generation. Also, we attempted to study applicability for authenticity of the bronze artefacts using scientific analyses based on the specific element. The results of ICP-AES analysis showed that the bronze were formed from an alloy of Cu, Sn, Pb with trace elements such as Ag, As, Co, Fe, but there were not Zn found. The result of P-XRF are 10~25% lower in Cu and 10~20% higher in Sn than that of ICP-AES. This is because of destannification that the compound of $SnO_2$ are present on the surface. The results of SEM-EDS represented that there is lead segregation. It was difficult to study applicability for authenticity of bronze artefact according to the microstructures and chemical components of the bronze artefacts. Therefore, as bronze artefacts have shown different corrosion materials depending on the buried environment and conserving environment, identifying the authenticity would be possible on the basis of the additional researches on the corrosion and comparative research of ancient art.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.355-362
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• 2017

The Nongso tomb of Sunchang was built in a relatively deep place; hence there was little damage from grave robbers. The tomb was completely filled with a large amount of charcoal, and therefore the wooden coffin was excavated in relatively good condition. On the basis of the structure of the tombs, excavated artifacts, and radiocarbon dating results, the tomb is estimated to be from between the late Goryeo and the early Joseon period. The wooden coffin excavated is double-layered structures consisting of an outer coffin and an inner coffin. The outside of the wooden coffin is thickly lacquered and decorated with yellow letters and white motifs. An analysis of the pigments' components revealed that the major component of the letters was gold (Au) and the major component of the motifs was silver (Ag). The coffin lacquer had three layers: a pigment layer, a yellowish-brown layer, and a black layer. The wooden bases of the coffins were painted with a black substance, such as soot, as mineral elements were not detected in the black layer. The yellowish-brown layer is presumed to be refined lacquer. From the analysis of the structure of the layers and pigments, we can estimate the method was adopted for making lacquer for wooden coffin. It is assumed that the method used gold leaf and gold powder. The form of the pigment and the internal structure are likely to be gold leaf, but the shape of the surface letters appears to have been formed using gold powder. This study will serve as important information for understanding lacquer making techniques at the time of the tombs' construction by confirming the making method through reproduction experiments using gold leaf and gold powder.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2012

This study discusses a mercury amalgam gilding technique and examines how the color, surface and section of the gilt layer changes as the condition of heat treatment with mercury amalgam gilt object is changed. Some previous studies have mentioned reasons for various colors on gilt bronze artifacts depending on gilding manufacture and environment. However, reason for reddish color with gold on the artifacts' surface brought on high temperature corrosion has yet to be discussed and analyzed. A methodology was found in representing the mercury amalgam gilding technique and heat treatment test. According to the result of the heat treatment test, in the conditions of higher temperature and longer time, the oxidized layer on the gilt layer was distributed more widely and in the part when the oxide layer was eliminated, the gilt layer with a reddish color was observed. Moreover, in the surface observation of the specimen on which yellow and reddish colors were agitated, the changing aspects of its surface condition differed by colors. When investigated the section, it was observed that the void density and size became larger. After a test, the surface components changed; the temperature of heat treatment increased, component ratio of Hg and Au decreased gradually but component ratio of Cu increased. In regard to the gilt layer, as the time was longer and the temperature became higher for the heat treatment, the component ratio of Au and Cu by layers tended to change in inverse proportion. It is concluded that gilding techniques and the burial environment can make a difference in the surface color of the gilt layer on the gilt bronze artifacts, the high temperature corrosion that occurs by heat after they are manufactured is also one of the factors that affects their surface color.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2012

In the Chosun period, the noble class usually buried the dead bodies in the lime-covered tomb. Recently their costumes are excavated while maintaining the shape. However, the textiles discovered from the inside have been degradated by a body and moisture. To conserve these textiles one of the most important thing is how to clean these textiles right after the excavation. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of wet cleaning to minimize the color change of textile remains. For this purpose, silk and cotton were dyed with natural dyes (7 red, 1 blue, 6 yellow, 4 green and 4 purple colors), then they were kept for 6 months with pork meat at $10^{\circ}C$, and were washed by four cleaning solutions (water, anionic surfactant (SDS), non-ionic surfactant (Triton X-100) and natural surfactant (saponin)) at $20^{\circ}C$ and $40^{\circ}C$. The color change was evaluated by color difference (${\Delta}E$) between non-treated and after washed samples. From the results, it was found that the color changes are significantly different depending on the washing temperature, textile material, the cleaning agents and the type of dyes.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.75-86
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• 2015

A scale Armor is usually excavated in a scattered form weakened by corrosion after its burial. Therefore, they should be brought into the indoor in a safe environment for the on-site conservation treatment as it was excavated. They should be placed on a stable support with a reinforced base in the indoor treatment. In this process, the bottom surface which can not be observed after the conservation treatment is placed for a record by actual survey and photography. But this method had a limit on figuring out the whole aspects of the artifact. For compensating the defect, duplication of the artifact was considered as an alternative method for the previous two methods in the case of conservation of the scale Armor from Jinyoung 2-Area, Gimhae. Neck guard was excavated in a distorted form by the earth pressure, and was hard to recognize the original shape. However, whole real material of its original form was secured through the combination of each duplicated lamellae. Throughout the application of the duplication technique in the process of conservation of scale Armor and neck guard, it could secure the real material of the bottom surface and elevate the understanding of the artifact. Moreover, a constitution of the armor could be identified more effectively.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.28
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• pp.17-34
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• 2022

This study seeks to identify the material characteristics of earthenware excavated from the Bangi-dong Ancient Tomb No. 3 and the articulated stone-mound tomb of the Seokchon-dong ancient tombs in the Songpa region, and analyze the homogeneity and the firing temperature of the materials used at each excavated site. The remains have been studied relatively recently, and the groups of tombs in which they were found demonstrate the transition of ancient Korean burial systems, and at the same time, provide important archaeological data about those in power at the time. The earthenware pottery excavated from the two sites examined in the study were buried at different times, and it is assumed that they were made by procuring weathered soil of similar gneiss, judging from the behavior of the compatible and incompatible elements and the weathering tendency found by examining the main components. In addition, the examination of the mineral composition and microstructure of clay indicates that the earthenware from Seokchon-dong was fired at 950 degrees Celsius or lower at a relatively early stage. On the other hand, the earthenware from Bangi-dong Tomb No. 3 was confirmed to have experienced temperatures below 850 degrees Celsius and above 1,000 degrees Celsius. However, it is difficult to interpret the difference as the result of the changes in firing temperature throughout the eras. It is expected that it will be possible to interpret the changes in earthenware manufacturing techniques by comparing more diverse earthenware potteries and ancient soils.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.82-108
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• 2024

With the transition of archaeological recording method's transition from analog to digital, the 3D scanning technology has been actively adopted within the field. Research on the digital archaeological digital data gathered from 3D scanning and photogrammetry is continuously being conducted. However, due to cost and manpower issues, most buried cultural heritage organizations are hesitating to adopt such digital technology. This paper aims to present a digital recording method of relics utilizing open-source software and photogrammetry technology, which is believed to be the most efficient method among 3D scanning methods. The digital recording process of relics consists of three stages: acquiring a 3D model, creating a joining map with the edited 3D model, and creating an digital drawing. In order to enhance the accessibility, this method only utilizes open-source software throughout the entire process. The results of this study confirms that in terms of quantitative evaluation, the deviation of numerical measurement between the actual artifact and the 3D model was minimal. In addition, the results of quantitative quality analysis from the open-source software and the commercial software showed high similarity. However, the data processing time was overwhelmingly fast for commercial software, which is believed to be a result of high computational speed from the improved algorithm. In qualitative evaluation, some differences in mesh and texture quality occurred. In the 3D model generated by opensource software, following problems occurred: noise on the mesh surface, harsh surface of the mesh, and difficulty in confirming the production marks of relics and the expression of patterns. However, some of the open source software did generate the quality comparable to that of commercial software in quantitative and qualitative evaluations. Open-source software for editing 3D models was able to not only post-process, match, and merge the 3D model, but also scale adjustment, join surface production, and render image necessary for the actual measurement of relics. The final completed drawing was tracked by the CAD program, which is also an open-source software. In archaeological research, photogrammetry is very applicable to various processes, including excavation, writing reports, and research on numerical data from 3D models. With the breakthrough development of computer vision, the types of open-source software have been diversified and the performance has significantly improved. With the high accessibility to such digital technology, the acquisition of 3D model data in archaeology will be used as basic data for preservation and active research of cultural heritage.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.54-73
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• 2012

In this article, we examined the patterns of activities of the Sarmathians though in a humble measure, with a focus on the regions where the Sarmathian sheaths spreaded. One of the main weapons the mounted nomads like the Scythias, the Sarmathians, and the Alans used at war was a spear. Though complementary, a sword was the most convenient and appropriate weapon when fighting at a near distance, fallen from the horse to the ground. The Sarmathian swords continued the tradition of the Akinakes which the Scythias or the Persians used, but those of the Sarmathians showed some advances in terms of the easiness with which a sword was drawn out from a sheath, and the way the sheaths were worn to parts of a human body. It turns out that the Sarmathian sheaths, which were designed for the people to draw swords easily, having the sheaths attached to thighs through 4 bumps, spread extensively from Pazyryk, Altai, to South Siberia, Bactria, Parthia and Rome. The most noteworthy out of all the Sarmathian sheaths were the ones that were excavated from the 4th tomb in Tillatepe, Afghanistan which belonged to the region of Bactria. The owner of the fourth tomb of Tilla-tepe whose region was under the control of Kushan Dynasty at that time, was buried wearing Sarmathian swords, and regarded as a big shot in the region of Bactria which was also under the governance of Kushan Dynasty. The fact that the owner of the tomb wore two swords suggests that there had been active exchange between Bactria and Sarmathia. It seemed that the reason why the Sarmathians could play an important role in the exchange between the East and the West might have something to do with their role of supplying Chinese goods to Silk Road. That's why we are interested in how the copper mirrors of Han Dynasty, decoration beads like melon-type beads, crystal beads and goldring articulated beads, and the artifacts of South China which produced silks were excavated in the northern steppe route where the Sarmathians actively worked. Our study have established that the eye beads discovered in Sarmathian tomb estimated to have been built around the 1st century B.C. were reprocessed in China, and then imported to Sarmathia again. We should note the Huns as a medium between the Sarmathians and the South China which were far apart from each other. Thus gold-ring articulated beads which were spread out mainly across the South China has been discovered in the Huns' remains. On the other hand, between 2nd century B.C. and 2nd century A.D. which were main periods of the Sarmathians, it was considered that the traffic route connecting the steppe route and the South China might be West-South silk road which started from Yunnan, passed through Myanmar, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, and then went into the east of India. The West-south Silk road is presumed to have been used by nomadic tribes who wanted to get the goods from South China before the Oasis route was activated by the Han Dynasty's policy of managing the countries bordering on Western China.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.101-114
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• 2009

Potsherds and kilns of the AD 3th century excavated from Gundong and Majeon sites, Korea were studied to investigate the production techniques and provenance of potsherds and kilns on the pastes. For potsherds, kilns blocks and in-situ paleo-soils, provenance of raw materials were estimated through mineralogy and geochemistry, while production technique and thermal feature of kilns were investigated through observation of textures and compositions as well as firing experiment on paleo-soils. As a result of study, potsherds and kilns were found to have similar mineralogical compositions as the neighboring paleo-soils and to have same evolution path with that of geochemistry. The potsherds were divided into 3 groups according to firing temperature and production technique. Group 1 consists of reddish stamped pattern pottery with loose textures, which has many pores and contains many iron oxides. Its temper is less than about 0.5mm, and was probably fired between 700 to $800^{\circ}C$. Group 2 contains ash to grayish blue stamped pattern pottery, which has vitrified texture and few pores. Its temper is less than about 0.5mm, and was probably fired from 900 to $1,000^{\circ}C$. However, some potsherd belongs to the group 2 in terms of features for temper and pastes, but it was probably fired over $1,100^{\circ}C$. Group 3 contains reddish and grayish stamped pattern pottery. It has vitrified matrix, few pores and temper consists of polycrystalline quartz and feldspar over 2mm, and it was probably fired around $1,000^{\circ}C$. The kiln had experienced temperature from 600 to $700^{\circ}C$ on the wall, from 900 to $1,000^{\circ}C$ on the bottom, suggesting the function of high temperature firing.