• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.315-325
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• 2020

The Daetongsa temple is the earliest temple to be constructed during the era of the Three Kingdoms in ancient Korea. The main architect, purpose, and name of the temple have been confirmed through ancient literature and archeological materials carved in the Chinese letter, Daetong, excavated around Gongju. However, the location and range of the temple have remained elusive and were discussed in various studies. In this study, we examine the roof tiles obtained from the presumed site of the Daetongsa temple. The tiles were found to contain traces of red paint (red pigments) on their surface and analyzed using nondestructive techniques. The results imply that roof tiles were made using clay tablets and wooden cylinders, with latticed cloth in between. Additionally, some wooden cylinders appeared to comprise numerous wooden plates tied together by strings. The clay tablets used to make the roof tiles were produced from the source clay via the sorting process. The traces of red paint on the surface of the roof tiles were verified to be traditional pigments used for painting wooden buildings. These pigments were extracted from red ocher or red clay (Seokganju), mainly consisting of iron oxide. In the literature, the location of provenance sites for Seokganju is estimated to be far from Gongju. However, the materials for extracting the red pigments were relatively easy to source because most rocks comprised iron oxides. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the provenance of the red pigments around the presumed site of Daetongsa.