• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.228-241
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• 2021

Cremated archaeological bones provide crucial information to unravel the details of ancient cremation events and funeral culture. The research on cremated bones to date has been mainly focused on extracting archaeological information in Korea. Recently, the techniques of physical anthropology have been applied to obtain biological information and cremation temperatures for individuals. This study analyzed human remains excavated from Seoul Seokchon-dong Ancient Tombs and determined whether there were human cremations as well as the estimated cremation temperatures. There was no trace of fire in the pits where cremated bones were found; therefore, it is assumed that they were deposited with the artifacts. In this study, four samples were selected according to the surface color of the bones, and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used for analysis. All four of the Seokchon-dong cremated bones were found, based on the crystallization index of X-ray diffraction analysis, to have experienced cremation above the temperature of 700℃. Infrared spectroscopy results indicated that the four bones from Seokchon-dong were cremated at temperatures above 700℃ and below 1,000℃. IR peaks were observed at 700℃, whereas no changes were found when bones experienced more than 1000℃. We assume that the cremated people in the Seokchon-dong Tombs were people of high-status because cremation at such a high temperature at that period required much effort. Here we present significant evidence of the cremation status and temperature of archaeological human bones on the basis of XRD and FT-IR, allowing for the restoration of the cremation events and funeral culture in archaeological sites.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.23
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• pp.73-80
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• 2008

This article aims to turn out the authentication of archaeological materials by using the paleodose measurement to fine sand-size quartz grains obtained by micro sampling technique. We firstly revealed the validity of micro sampling technique from the paleodoses of two bricks related to Muryong Royal Tomb of Baekje Kingdom. For the purpose of authentication test, four archaeological materials were selected, because they have been insisted that they were manufactured in Goguryeo Kingdom era. After obtaining very few quartz grains by micro sampling technique, each paleodose was evaluated by using SGR (single grain regenerative dose method). All values were very low below 0.2Gy and the reliability was found from those values by using SAR (single aliquot regenerative dose method). Considering the archaeological situation and the general paleodose, the burial time for 1,000 years generally corresponds to about 3.5Gy in Korea, it is concluded that these archaeological materials are all modern counterfeits.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.08a
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• pp.180-189
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• 2004

The name of (Ban)wolseong thanks to its having a shape like a half-moon. Wolseong fortress is one of 'Gyeongju Historic Area', world heritage. The Silla kingdom's royal palace previously maintained its capital fortress at the locale of Wolseong. However its real face has been kept in mystery. This study grafts Geophysics on modern Archaeology and approaches with scientific and systematic methods to an excavation plan or archaeological study by means of GPR exploration which can complement archaeological curiosity without destroying Wolseong fortress. The exploration area is $12,000m^2$ in front of Seokbinggo(stone storage for ice). It is only $10\%$ area of Wolseong fortress. As a conclusion, GPR detected 7 of squared buildings($8{\times}8m^2$ size), stone wall, an entrance for the fortress, lots of foundation stones, road(presumptive), and a presumptive pond which size is 35${\~}$40m in diameter.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.16 s.16
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• pp.5-14
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• 2004

Luminescence dating is based upon the premise that several commonly occurring minerals (e.g. quartz and feldspar) can be used as natural dosimeters, recording the amount of radiation to which they have been exposed. We report results of optical dating on quartz samples separated from archaeological remains (burnt soils and potteries), which were excavated at Myungam-Ri, Asan, and Chungnam province and at Sayang-Ri, Chinchun, Chungbuk province, considered as the cultural site of the early Bronze Age. The resultant dates were in good agreement with the ages derived by archaeological assessment. It is concluded that the optical dating introduced in here should contribute significantly to future archaeological dating work.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.14-32
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• 2022

Underwater photographing and image recording are essential for pre-excavation survey and during excavation in underwater archaeology. Unlike photographing on land, all underwater images suffer various quality degradations such as shape distortions, color shift, blur, low contrast, high noise levels and so on. Outcome is very often heavily photographing equipment and photographer dependent. Excavation schedule, weather conditions, and water conditions can put burdens on divers. Usable images are very limited compared to the efforts. In underwater archaeological study in very turbid water such as in the Yellow Sea (between mainland China and the Korean peninsula), underwater photographing is very challenging. In this study, off-site image distortion and color compensation techniques using an image processing/analysis software is investigated as an alternative image quality enhancement method. As sample images, photographs taken during the excavation of 800-year-old Taean Mado Shipwrecks in the Yellow Sea in 2008-2010 were mainly used. Significant enhancement in distortion and color compensation of archived images were obtained by simple post image processing using image processing/analysis software (PicMan) customized for given view ports, lenses and cameras with and without optical axis offsets. Post image processing is found to be very effective in distortion and color compensation of both recent and archived images from various photographing equipment models and configurations. Merits and demerit of in-situ, distortion and color compensated photographing with sophisticated equipment and conventional photographing equipment, which requires post image processing, are compared.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.31
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• pp.69-77
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• 2010

Preservation of artifacts that are excavated from archeological sites is closely related to soil environment. Biological remains are especially influenced by degradation activity of microorganism from soil environment. In this study a preserved human bone in archaeological tomb, Tou-kwang-myo from Joseon Period was analyzed to characterize bacteria groups by molecular genetic tools using 16S rDNA sequences. 117 clones were identified and classified 9 phylogenetic groups : ${\alpha}$-, ${\beta}$-, ${\gamma}$-, ${\delta}$-Proteobacteria, Sphingobacteria, Clostridia, Actinobacteridae, Nitrospiraceae, and Gemmatimonadetes according to homologous 16S rDNA sequences submitted in NCBI. ${\gamma}$-Proteobacteria group appears the highest ratio in bones (about 35%) while about 19.6% belong to the Actinobacteria group. The results may contribute to study on the effect of microorganisms on the human remains with burial method.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.5 no.2 s.6
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• pp.45-50
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• 1996

Silk fibers excavated at Fujinoki mounted tomb, Shimoikeyana mounted tomb and Kuriyama site were examined using FT-IR microscope and two peaks called amide I and II present in modern silk fibers were compared with those of excavated fibers. It was found that amide ground in a polymer molecule decreased with the progress of degradation and peak intensity of amide group in infrared spectrum decreased correspondingly. The advantages of FT-IR microscopy for the analysis of organic remains in archaeological view point were evaluated and it was concluded that the systematic investigation of spectral change due to the degradation of respective material is essential.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.3618-3623
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• 2011

This paper presents a stable isotope chemistry of bone collagen and carbonate. Bone carbonate has the potential to provide additional isotopic information. However, it remains controversial as to whether archaeological bone carbonate retains its original biogenic signature. I used a novel application of bone density fractionation and checked the integrity of ${\delta}^{13}C_{apa}$ values using radiocarbon dating. Diagenesis in archaeological bone carbonate still remains to be resolved in extracting biogenic information. The combined use of bone density fractionation and differential dissolution method shows a large shift in the ${\delta}^{13}C_{apa}$ values. Although ${\delta}^{13}C_{apa}$ values are improved in lighter density fractions, a large percentage of contamination in bone carbonate was reported via $^{14}C$ dating compared to that noted with bone collagen.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.224-239
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• 2016

This article aims to review the major problems of the present Korean management system of archaeology and to seek desirable suggestions in order to pursue the sustainable harmony between the recovery of academic excavations and economic development. In order to continue the sustainable harmony between preserving the values of archaeological resources as limited pure public goods and economic development, the present system of developer's payment for archaeology must be replaced by the introduction of the development fee for archaeology. The excavation of archaeological resources have been done according to the market principle, that is, the lower price principle. But the principle has produced a lot of serious problems in the Korean management system of archaeology, which must result in the market failure. So the governmental intervention is urgently required. By introducing the development fee, the archaeological field units and the developers can avoid direct contact. Instead, the Heritage Management Office will operate the excavation fund raised by the development fee for archaeology in order to avoid low-price contracts, degrading excavation quality, and other related residents' complaints and social conflicts in advance. In addition, the budget for purchasing the preserved excavation sites, which are the source of the landowners' enormous complaints, must be allocated to the Heritage Management Office by the Ministry of Planning and Finance. More budget for small-sized excavations must be allocated as well in order to solve many residents' complaints. These budget increase will be the fundamentals to decrease the residents' big complaints and social conflicts in relation with the archaeological management, which will be a challenge of the Korean government. Along with the governmental efforts, the archaeological field units must do their all-out efforts to overcome many problems in excavation including low-price contracts. Finally, the wage system and working status system must be revised. Excellent young excavators must be recruited appropriately and continue to work in a safe psychological condition, which are the basis to guarantee high-quality excavation.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.481-492
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• 2018

We conducted TL/OSL dating for the earthenware kilns in the Bongsan-ri archaeological site, Osong, which was occupied from the late nineteenth to the late twentieth century. With the SAR-TL/OSL method, paleodose was determined from the equivalent dose during the burial period($ED_{burial}$), the background dose($ED_{BG}$), the fading correction factor(f), and the overestimation correction factor(C). The annual dose rates and their provenance were evaluated from the measurement of natural radionuclides $^{238}U$, $^{232}Th$, and $^{40}K$. Because the comprehensive absolute age was provided by combining the resulting TL/OSL and radiocarbon data, we concluded that, for the absolute chronology of a modern archaeological site, TL/OSL dating and radiocarbon dating must be carried out together and summed. The construction and occupation of earthenware kilns in the Bongsan-ri site had changed from stage I (No.5, 6 kilns), to stage II (No.1, 2, 3 kilns), to stage III (No.4) in chronological order. When Bayesian statistics were applied, we found that the absolute ages of occupation for stages I, II, and III correspond to AD $1910{\pm}23$, AD $1970{\pm}10$, and AD $1987{\pm}4$. These results were in good agreement with the archaeological context or chronology.