• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.122-141
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• 2019

This study aimed to provide new interpretations of the ceramics excavated from the archaeological site of the royal palace of Goryeo (918~1392), where only limited access was permitted due to its location in Gaeseong, North Korea. The interpretations were based on the existing understanding of the arrangement of the palace buildings at the site and historical records. The study of the general aspects of the celadons discovered during eight excavations at the Goryeo Palace site in Gaeseong revealed that most of the vessels found at the site were produced during the early and middle phases of the Goryeo dynasty. The study involved classifying the celadons bearing inscribed texts and symbols into 18 different types according to their characteristic features and periods of production. The inscribed celadons have provided detailed information of the site where they were found, thereby making it possible to make strong presumptions about the date of construction, function, and status of the building in the palace connected with the discoveries. The excavations from the Goryeo Palace site and related historical literature suggest that the celadons bearing the inscription "Sojeon (燒錢)" were used during the first half of the 13th century, although the existing view had been that they were used during the second half of the century. This new conclusion is based on the use of the symbols ${\circ}$ and ${\odot}$, the celadons found together with the Sojeon-inscribed celadons, the date of the celadons bearing the inscription "Seong (成)," and the location of their discovery behind the site of Seongyeongjeon (aka Hoegyeongjeon) Hall, which had been one of the main palace buildings. The Taoist rituals performed for the safety of the Goryeo dynasty were largely held at Ganganjeon (aka Daegwanjeon) Hall in the western part of the royal palace during the second half of the 13th century. It was mostly in the first half of the 13th century just before the transfer of the Goryeo government from Gaeseong to Ganghwa (1232~1270) that the Taoist rituals were held at the location near Seongyeongjeon Hall, where archaeologists found the Sojeon-inscribed celadons. Therefore, the large number of celadon cups with holders, including those inscribed with Sojeon, discovered during the eighth excavation of the palace site suggests that they were used for the rituals held at Seongyeongjeon Hall during the first half of the 13th century.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.4-21
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• 2012

Jade ornaments, which include slit earrings, scoop-shaped objects and tubular beads have been extensively identified in Northeast Asia, such as Korea, China, Japan and the Maritime Province of Siberia. Among them slit earrings are distributed in the whole area of Northeast Asia. Although this object shows the typological differences in accordance with the excavated region in detail, all of them are characterised by the slit on the centre of jade ring. The buried context and the shape of this object suggest that this artefact was the earring; thus it is named to 'slit earring'. Most of slit earrings of the Neolithic Age concentrate in Northeast China and the areas south of the Yangtze River, and the Japanese Archipelago. However, unfortunately, Slit earrings, which were produced in the tradition of the incipient and early phases of the Neolithic Age in Northeast Asia, have not been excavated in the Korean Peninsula. The number of slit earrings reported so far is eight, and especially until the 20th century, almost none was reported with its exact excavation location and only three of them are known as excavated through surface surveys and preliminary excavations. However, from the beginning of the 21st century onwards, the number of discovered slit earrings is increasing. Particularly, five pieces of this object uncovered in the 21st century are discovered in the official excavation; thus the exact archaeological context such as buried locations and chronologies could be estimated. By considering the buried context, slit earrings are associated with stone axes, which were produced in the incipient and early phase of the Neolithic Age in the Korean Peninsula. In addition, considering the number of unearthed objects is a few, it could be postulate that slit earring was the artefact that only a few persons, who had a special role in the society, could possess. However, slit jade earrings that have been excavated in the Korean Peninsula are extremely low in their number compared to the cases of its neighbouring countries such as China and Japan, and the researches on this subject have not been much conducted in Korea. Therefore, it is my supposition that slit earrings, which have been discovered in the Korean Peninsula, might be the imported item from the nearby areas. Particularly, the Southern Coast was closely connected with Japanese Islands and the Eastern Coast was interchanged with Northeast China or the Maritime Province of Siberia. Considering that excavations and researches on the Neolithic remains in the Korean Peninsula have not been sufficiently and actively conducted, it could be expected that the further investigations and researches will reveal the sufficient quantities of slit earrings in near future.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.4-37
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• 2019

Buncheong Ware, which was produced for approximately 200 years from the end of the Goryeo Dynasty to the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty, was used for royal house and state affairs during the early Joseon Dynasty. Records of Buncheong Ware can be found with Jagiso and Dogiso, considered the place of production, in the 'Sejongsylrok jiliji'. This is notable, unlike celadon and white porcelain. However, compared to Gyeongsangnam-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do, the study of Jagiso and Dogiso in Jeollanam-do and Jeollabuk-do has been unsatisfactory. In this paper, we examined the locations of Jagiso and Dogiso in the Jeollanam-do prefecture. This study is focused on Najumok, located in the western part of Jeollanam-do. The following research results were obtained: First, the locations of Jagiso and Dogiso in nine areas were examined. These nine areas comprised Najumok and its immediate provinces of Haejingun, Yeongamgun, Yeonggwanggun, Hampyeonghyeon, Muanhyeon, Gochanghyeon, Heungdeokhyeon and Jangseonghyeon. Previous research results exist for some of the regions; however, only Buncheong Ware was used to estimate Jagiso and Dogiso. In this paper, we tried to discover a more accurate position of Jagiso and Dogiso through a comparison of the place names recorded in the 'Sejongsylrok jiliji' and the place names recorded in the 'Hoguchoungsu'. Also, pottery-related area names and Buncheong Ware obtained from the field survey were reviewed. Table 2 shows the specific positions of Jagiso and Dogiso in the areas examined. Second, it would appear that pottery was produced not only in Jagiso but also in Dogiso. This is because much of Buncheong Ware was unearthed in Najumok, Yeongamgun, and Muanhyeon Dogiso. However, it was only excavated from the Buncheong Kiln Site in Yucheon Village, Sangweol-ri, Yeongam-gun; there could be limitations regarding to the rest of the areas because only a field survey was conducted, not an excavation. A recent excavation at Donggok Village in Cheongdo-ri, Gimje also confirmed a Buncheong Kiln Site. There were two Buncheong Ware ('公', '上') artifacts excavated from the site, believed to be Gongnapjagi. In addition, Cheongdo-ri, where the Buncheong Kiln Site is located, was found to be an area in Wurimgokmyeon, a former Wurimgok at a Dogiso in Jeonjubu. Consequently, it would seem that Dogiso also produced porcelain (Buncheong Ware). If more data can be obtained from the excavations at sites considered to be Dogiso, the results of Dogiso-related research will be strengthened. Third, in previous surveys, field surveys and excavation surveys were based on estimates using artifacts, but the name of the location of the Jagiso and Dogiso may be confirmed more accurately by tracking the changes in the names of the administrative areas. Therefore, although it is important to conduct research using the results of surveys or excavations, changes in the place names or places related to porcelain must not be overlooked.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.63-84
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• 2022

One of the ancient nomadic cultures, the Saka is generally regarded as an important intermediary in the ancient Eurasian cultural network. This study is the reinterpretation of the excavations conducted on the Katartobe tombs site of the Saka culture through a joint three-year-long project by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage in Korea in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Research Institute under the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The main discussion of the study deals with the burial rituals performed by the community who built the Katartobe tombs by the comparison and review of the various researches on the Saka tombs based on the archaeological artifacts discovered during excavation. The research has shown that the Saka tribes maintained the tradition of burying domesticated animals, such as horses, with its owner and performed burial rituals which often involved the use of fire. The archaeological remains of the Saka also show that the burial rituals like these formed the key aspect of their cultural heritage. The archaeological discoveries also show that the Saka mourners built wooden cists under a single mound when they needed to bury multiple corpses at once and sustained the practice of excarnation when burying the bodies of those who died in the different periods of time. Some burials included a tomb passage which was used not only for carrying the deceased but also for a separate burial ritual. The main discussion of this study also deals with the remnants of bones of animals buried with their deceased owners in the same kurgan, as well as the animal species and their locations in the kurgan, resulting in the discovery of diverse meanings connected with them. The pottery buried in the tombs were largely ceremonial offering vessels, just like others excavated at nearby Saka tombs and located around the buried corpse's head facing toward the west. The excavation of the tombs also shows that two vessels were arranged at the corners of the coffin where the feet are located, revealing the characteristic features of the burial practices maintained by the tribe who built the Katartobe tombs. It may be too early to come to a definite conclusion on the burial practices of the Saka due to the relative lack of research on the kurgans across Central Asia. Excavations so far show that the kurgans clustered in a single archaeological site tend to display differences as well as uniformities. In conclusion, the ancient Central Asian tombs need more detailed surveys and researches to be able to make strides in an effort to restore the cultural heritage of the ancient Central Asian tribes who played a crucial role in the Eurasian cultural landscape.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.6 s.175
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• pp.623-631
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• 2005

We applied the seismic method to investigate the site characteristics around the Circular Pond (top diameter 7.3 m, bottom diameter 3 m, and depth 4.78 m) at the Ssangsujung Park within the Gongsansung in Gongju. Previous excavations for the cultural assets beneath the Ssangsujung Park disclosed the assumed site of the Palace of the Beakje Dynasty and the Circular Pond containing the Bakje relics. We demonstrated that the seismic prospecting can be applicable to delineate the underground structure around the cultural properties by the three kinds of seismic approaches: walk-away test, conventional refraction method, and equal-distance refraction survey. The last method which is designed by this work ran detect the I-W variations of seismic velocity in the subsurface medium across the Circular Pond on the basis of the difference of the P-wave arrival times between the 1-m-spacing 24 geophones and the corresponding 24 shots parallel with the geophone profile. From the combined results, prominent three-layer velocity structure is observed around the Circular Pond. The bottom layer is interpreted as the basement rock which is exposed near the Ssangsujung whereas the upper layer with relatively lower velocities is interpreted to be the artificial covering. The basement depth beneath the Circular Pond is deeper than the norhern area. The western basement of Circular Pond has the thicker weaker layer compared with the eastern part. Thus, the middle layer could be constructed as the artificial foundation during the Beakje Dynasty. Consequently, the Kong-sansung Circular Pond is possibly built upwardly rather than digging.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.213-228
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• 2010

The composition of Chinese ceramic shards has been the subject of analysis in Europe, beginning in the 18th century, and in China from the 1950s. Scientific studies of traditional Korean shards commenced in the United States and Germany in the 1980s, and studies within Korea began in the 1990s. From analysis of a large systematically collected dataset, the composition of porcelain produced during the Kory. dynasty, including 21 celadon and 10 whiteware groups, was characterized and compared with that of Chinese ceramics. The average composition of the body and glaze of several shards (usually three to five) from each group was determined, enabling comparisons between groups. The results show that the majority of groups were derived from mica-quartz porcelain stone, which was commonly used in Yuezhou, Jingdezhen, and other southern Chinese kilns. The composition of glazes includes clay and flux components; the latter were typically wood ash and limestone, initially as burnt but later as crushed forms. The earliest of the Kangjin glazes contained substantially less titanium oxide than did the Yuezhou glazes, which were typically formulated from body material and wood ash. The present study provides a comparative framework for the growing number of analytical investigations associated with excavations occurring in Korea.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.141-154
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• 2016

The gilt-bronze decorated bamboo mudguards with heavenly horse design excavated in 1973 at Cheonma Tomb of Shilla are the unprecedented relics in Korean history as it has its original structure. Although the bamboo mudguards were excavated in not only Cheonma Tomb, but also in Geumgwanchong and Geumryeongchong, all of them remains into pieces. In addition, there are no exact data related with its structure and manufacturing technique. The report deals with the manufacturing technique of the bamboo mudguards with heavenly horse design excavated in Cheonma Tomb through the naked eye's observation, X-Ray Fluorescence, and Transmission X-rays analysis etc. Bamboo mudguards basically have the three divided structure with central-focus structure of a radiation style. And the mudguards consists of Bratticing gilt-bronze, fabric, and bamboo plates together, as ornamental fringe of 4 plates. The surface of the gilt bronze plates was decorated with a variety of workmanship and pendant. Bamboo plates have a waved pattern by using about three hundred bamboo bark. Two types of textiles were mainly found in the textile plates, and the leather were partially found. In order to combine all plates together, gilt-bronze bottonhead, pendant decoration, and ornamental fringe were used. It would be helpful to study bamboo mudguards during 5th-6th centuries in Shilla period and basis investigations of Geumgwanchong and Geumryeongchong excavations.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.145-148
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• 2003

The Kunang cave paleolithic site is located at Tanyang [$N37^{\circ}2'$, $128^{\circ}21'E$], Chungbuk Province, which is in the Central part of the Korean peninsula. The cave is developed at 312 amsl in a karstic mountainous area. The South Han River flows across this region and other caves can also be found near the river. The site was discovered in 1986 and excavated 3 times by the Chungbuk National University Museum until now. The cave was wellpreserved from modem human activities until the first discovery. The full length of the cave is estimated to be ca. 140 m. However, a spacious part up to 11 m from the entrance has been excavated. Eight lithological units are divided over the vertical profile at a depth of 5 m. Each unit is deposited in ascending order as follow: mud layer (Unit 9), lower complex (Unit 8) which is composed of angular blocks and fragments with a muddy matrix, lower travertine layer (Unit 7； flowstone), middle complex (Unit 6; cultural layer) which is composed of fragments with a muddy matrix, middle travertine layer (Unit 5； flowstone), yellowish muddy layer (Unit 4), upper complex (Unit 3； cultural layer) which has a similar composition to Unit 8. the upper travertine layer (Unit 2； flowstone), and finally surface soil layer (Unit 1). The most abundant vestiges in the cultural layers are the animal bones. They are small fractured pieces and mostly less than 3 cm in length. About 3,800 bone pieces from 25 animal species have been collected so far, 90 percent of them belonging to young deers. Previous archaeological study of these bone pieces shows thatprehistoric people occupied the cavenot for permanent dwelling but for temporary shelter during their seasonal hunting activity. More extensive studies of these bones together with pollen analysis are in progress to reconstruct the paleoenvironment of this cave. Only a single date (12,500 BP) obtained from a U-Th measurement of the upper travertine layer was previously available. In spite of the importance of the cave stratigraphy, there was no detail chronological investigation to establish the depositional process of the cultural layers and to understand the periodic structure of the cave strata, alternating travertine floor and complex layers. We have measured five 14C age dating (38900+/-1000, 36400+/-900, 40600+/-1600, more than 51000 and 52000 14C BP) using Seoul National University 14C AMS facility, conducted systematic process of the collagen extraction from bone fragments samples. From the result, we estimate that sedimentation rate of the cave earth is constant, and that the travertine layers, Unit 2 and Unit 3, was formed during MIS 5a(ca. 80 kBP) and MIS 5c (ca. 100 kBP) respectively. The Kunang Cave site is located at Yochonli of the region of Danyang in the mid-eastern part of Korea. This region is compased of limestones in which many caves were found and the Nam-han river flows meanderingly. The excavations were carried out three times in 1986, 1988, and 1998.

• Acta Via Serica
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.95-104
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• 2016

The Silk Route in ancient times served as a link between the World's greatest civilizations and as a source of knowledge, art, religion and philosophy. This network of ancient caravan paths formed the first bridge between East and West, where two different civilizations came in contact with their respective cultural traditions and religious beliefs, as well as their scientific and technological achievements. One of the main routes of the Great Silk Route passed through the Karakoram, linking Kashgar with Kashmir and the Gandhara regions. The Karakoram Highway connects the Chinese province with Pakistan and follows the ancient Silk Route, which connected the Heartlands of Asia with the Western fringes and further beyond the entire continent of Europe. Evidences of the history of humankind, ranging from Pre-historic times to the spread of Buddhism from South Asia to China and the Far East, is depicted in the rocky cliffs on the waysides and on rough boulders scattered in the upper valley of the Indus River and its tributaries. The ancient trade routes also carried scholars, teachers, missionaries and monks of different beliefs and practices, who met and exchanged ideas. The Buddhists as well as Zoroastrians and other missionaries all followed the Silk Route, leaving permanent footprints of their passage. The ancient greater Gandhara is situated in the North-West of the Indian Sub-continent, with the steep mountain ranges of the Karakoram, the Pamir and the Hindu-Kush bordering it and the dry areas of Central Asia to its rear. A number of races from Central Asia migrated to Gandhara because of its mild climate and plentiful farm products and fruits. This area was an entry point of Western Culture into India and at the same times the exit point of Indian Culture, including Buddhism, to the West. In Gandhara, the diffusion of different cultures developed an art form, during the 1-7th centuries CE commonly known after its geographic name as "Gandhara Art". The Buddhism's route of introduction into China originated in Gandhara, then reached in Korea and Japan and other countries. The fame of Gandhara however, rested on its capital, "Taxila" which was a great centre of learning. From the time of the Achaemenians, down through Muslim period, Gandhara continued to establish and maintain a link between East & West, as shown by material evidences recovered from Taxila and other Buddhist centres of Gandhara during the course of archaeological excavations.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.217-228
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• 1999

The three methods of analysis (i) REV(representative elemental volume), (ii) non-REV and (iii) joint network analysis are introduced in this paper to analyze the groundwater flow in jointed rock mass and the inflow into underground excavations. The results from those methods are compared one another to reveal their characteristics by varying the number of joints and the diameter of the opening. The pre-processor, the so-called sequential analysis, is introduced to predict the equivalent hydraulic conductivity of a jointed rock mass having a number of intersecting joints. Using the finite element mesh, joint map and sequential analysis, the equivalent hydraulic conductivities are calculated for all 445 elements. The hydraulic inhomogeneity and the determination of the representative properties of jointed rock masses are discussed. In the REV analysis where the entire rock mass is homogenized through the representative properties, the inflow is increased regularly and consistently by increasing the joint density, the opening size and the conductivity contrast value. Though the non-REV analysis showed irregular variation of the inflow due to the local inhomogeneity allowed to individual elements, the inflow approached the REV results as the characteristic length increases. The joint network analysis showed the most sensitive reaction to the joint density, the opening size and the presence of the network crossing the opening. The reliability of the network analysis depends on the geometric data of individual joints. In view of the limited field data on joint geometry and possible uncertainty the REV and non-REV methods are considered more practical and rational than the joint network analysis.