• Journal of architectural history
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.7-17
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• 2024

Bunhwangsa Stone Brick Pagoda, constructed in 634, is Korea's oldest stone pagoda. As a prototype of the Silla Stone Pagoda, the pagoda was constructed using flagstones. Since it was constructed with flagstones, it has been known to be a pagoda that replicates the brick pagoda until now. The latest research suggests that it copies the India Stupa or the Stacked Stone Pagoda more than the Brick Pagoda. However, the Bunhwangsa stone brick pagoda has a significant difference in terms of construction technique and shape compared to Brick Pagodas, India Stupas, and Stacked Stone Pagodas. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the stone building technique used in Silla. Through this study, I would like to clarify that the Bunhwangsa stone brick pagoda is a stone pagoda that creatively reflects the existing Silla stone building techniques such as stone fortresses and stone chamber tombs.

• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.175-178
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• 2005

• Journal of architectural history
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.93-112
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• 1995

The wooden pagoda was first appeared in about late 4th century in Korea. And between the late 6th century and the eary 7th centry, the multistoried wooden pagoda was replaced with the stone pagodas, in order to improve their stability and durability. In Three-kingdom and Unificated-Silla period, there are two types of stone stupas in Korea. The one is Paekche(百濟)style, and the other is Silla(新羅) style stone pagoda. These two styles are basically different in each part like podium, roof stone, body stone, structure and the others. Two types of stupas are distributed in two regions which devided into the East(Silla territory) and West(Paekche territory) in the Korean peninsular. The origin of the Korean stone pagoda can be traced to the Paekche dynasty and Silla dynasty. The former were the result of the careful study of their skillful wooden pagodas, where the latter were actualy originated from copying their sundried brick pagodas with stone. Two important pagodas of the primitive stage are the stone pagoda of Miruksa(彌勒寺) temple in Iksan and Bunhwangsa(芬皇寺) temple in Kyungju. These two pagodas are compared with each other in the style of their construction. Silla style have sharp straight lines and short distance between roof stone and eaves. They give us strong as well as intelletural feeling. Howerever, Paekche style has curved lines and dull angles of cutting area of stone, they give us soft feeling.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.81-88
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relations between brick and stone brick pagodas in all classes of pagoda with their construction and shape. Research objects of this study are brick and stone brick pagodas of National Treasure and Treasure and masonry pagodas that are similar to brick and stone brick pagoda. This study includes checking preceding researches, drawing questions from these preceding researches, and finding answers from these questions. The results of this study are as follows. First, pagoda of Bunhwangsa Temple, the first pagoda in the Silla Dynasty, was built as a masonry pagoda, not a stone brick pagoda. Second, roofs of stone brick pagoda barrows from brick pagoda's techniques for performance of material and ease construction. Third, brick or stone brick pagodas' base have Type II that has low and extensive foundation with soil and stones usually. Forth, Korean pagodas are categorized by their materials, construction methods, and shapes. Wooden pagodas, stone pagodas, and brick pagodas are categorized by materials, post-and lintel pagodas and masonry stone pagodas are categorized by construction methods, and pitched roof pagodas and terraced roof pagodas are categorized by shapes. Fifth, masonry pagodas of Buddhism that have shape of multi-story building were developed from Doltap, traditional stone stack, and they advanced with brick pagodas and stone pagodas to terraced roof stone pagodas and post-and lintel base brick pagodas.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.149-159
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• 2018

The Gyeongju Bunhwangsa Stone Brick Pagoda, which was built with bricks of andesite, is the oldest brick stone pagoda of Silla period. The damage patterns in the stone pagoda are pollutants such as white crust, black crust, discoloration, soil adsorption, and microorganisms, and repair materials. The damage pattern of structural factors in the Stone Brick Pagoda is a bulging phenomenon. According to the X-ray diffraction analysis, white crust are mainly consist of calcite ($CaCO_3$) and thermonatrite ($Na_2CO_3{\cdot}H_2O$) that evaporite finds in nature. Damage pattern varies depending on location of stone pagoda. The pollutants are first story body of pagoda. The microorganisms are confirmed at base, lion statues, first and second story capstone, and repair materials observed at base. The bulging phenomenon appeared on the first story body of the pagoda. Occupancy rates by damage type were higher in the order of microorganisms, pollutants, repair material, bulging phenomenon, and peeling. The highest percentage of individual damage patterns were black microorganisms (39.3%), followed by lichen (17.9%), discoloration (8.0%), white crust (5.5%), cement mortar (5.1%) and peeling (3.1%).

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.18 s.18
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• pp.19-32
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• 2006

The stone pagoda of the Bunhwangsa temple made by piling small brick-shaped stones. The major rock forming stone bricks are andesites with variable genesis. Rock properties of the pagoda roof stone suffer partly including multiple peel-offs, exfoliation, decomposition like onion peels, cracks forming round lines and falling off stone pieces. The stylobates and tabernacles in all the four directions the pagoda are mostly composed of granitic rocks. Those rock properties are heavily contaminated by lichens and mosses with the often marks of inorganic contamination by secondary hydrates that are dark black or yellowish brown. Within the four tabernacles and northern pagoda body situated to relatively high humidity. There are even light gray precipitate looking like stalactites between the northern and western rocks of the body Their major minerals are calcite, gypsum and clays. The stone lion standing in the southeast and northeast side are alkali granite, while that in the southwest and northwest lithic tuff. Total rock properties of the pagoda are 9,708 pieces, among the all properties, fractured blocks are 11.0%, fall out blocks are 6.7% and covered blocks by precipitates are 7.0%, respectively. The pagoda has highly deteriorated the functions of the rock properties due to physical, chemical and biological weathering, therefore, we suggest that this pagoda has need to do long term monitoring and synthetic conservation researches.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.154-169
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• 2009

Korea is famous for a number of stone pagodas. In particular, it is noticeable that the stone pagodas came after wooden pagodas in all the Kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Since the advent of wooden pagodas, it was during the latter half period of Three Kingdoms(especially, in the early Seventh century) that the first stone pagoda appeared at Mireuksa Temple site in imitation of the wooden ones. Now that no one can deny that Korean stone pagodas have developed, imitating the wooden pagodas. It is also obvious that the Stone Pagoda at Mireuksa site is the prototype of Korean stone pagodas. However, this study casts doubt on the theory that the stone pagodas in the Silla Kingdom originated not from the wooden pagodas, but from the brick pagodas, whereas the stone pagodas in Baekje Kingdom which has been said to come from the wooden ones. The fact that the temples and pagodas in both Baekje and Silla were erected by the same builders and technicians is one of the evidences supporting the assertion of the study. This study, accordingly, examines on the origin of the Silla pagodas by supposing the two genealogies. The first one can be summarized in chronological order as follows: starting from wooden pagodas, Stone Pagoda at Mireuksa site, Stone Pagoda at Jungrimsa site, Stone Pagoda at Gameunsa site, and Stone Pagoda at Goseonsa site. The second one, on the other hand, runs as follows: starting from bick pagodas, Stone Pagoda at Bunhwangsa, Uiseong Tapri five-storied Stone Pagoda, Seonsan Jukjang-ri five-storied Stone Pagoda, and Seonsan Naksan-ri three-storied Stone Pagoda in order. As the above genealogies show, the origin of the stone pagodas has been an controversy, especially because of the two different points of view: the one is that the roof-supporting strata(Okgaesuk-Bachim) originated from the brick structure and the ancient tomb ceiling of Goguryeo Kingdom, and the other is that the strata is a sort of the simplified design of the wooden roof structure. This study, however, takes note of the difference in length of the strata between the brick pagodas and the stone pagodas; the former stretches out its strata longer than the latter. Consequently, the study points out that the roof-supporting strata of the stone pagodas is originally a sort of modification of the wooden roof structure.

• 한국문화재보존과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.92-100
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• 2004

The host rocks of brick-shaped stone pagoda in the Bunhwangsa temple are lots of kinds andesitic rocks, which has gone through mechanical and chemical weathering. As the overall observation, the pagoda is serious damages by air pollutants, and the northeast parts show the much advanced state of turning white, while the southeast parts are heavily cracked in the materials. The rocks of brick-shaped pagoda body are in a relatively stable condition of weathering and damage except for the abrasion and cracks of the corners. The rocks of the pagoda roof suffer from more symptoms including multiple peel-offs, exfoliation, cracks forming round lines, and falling off stone pieces. The pagoda roof rocks are dominated by the thriving leafy lichens and mosses, especially, there are higher plants (selaginella involvens, dandelions) taking root actively between the brick stones and content mortar. There are even light gray precipitates like stalactites between the rocks of the body, In particular, the 1st and 2nd floor in the east side and the body parts in the north side are the most serious. Their major minerals are calcite, gypsum and clay minerals. The rocks of the stylobate and the tabernacle in all the four directions are composed mainly of granitic rocks. The materials consisting of the tabernacles show the severe splits and distortion, which causes the structural instability. The stylobate rocks are heavily contaminated by some weeds with the often marks of inorganic contamination by secondary hydroxides. The central part of the east stylobate has been sinking, while that of the 1st floor west stylobate is protruded nesting a line of cracks. Accordingly, the inside of the tabernacle is always humid with the constant introduction of rainwater. The stone lion standing in the southeast and northeast side are alkali granite, while that in the southwest and northwest lithic tuff. Each of the stone lion also coated with various colored lichens, mosses, algae, bacteria and bryophyte. The external materials of the pagoda have deteriorated the functions of the rocks and made the loss, falling off, and biological contamination even worse due to the surface weathering. Thus it's urgent to come up with scientific restoration and conservation measures through clinical tests.

• 한국문화재보존과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.03a
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• pp.48-55
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• 2005