• 한국문화재보존과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.33-42
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• 2004

The forged iron axe found in the No. 2 wood-framed tomb (the middle 3rd century) of Hwangseongdong, Gyeongju is rectangular on the plane level. It shows an obtuse angle in the edge part, while the joint part has the both sides folded up and shows the traces of wood. Under the reflected light, the Iron axe shines in metal luster, which is bright light gray or light creamy colors. The result of x-ray diffraction analysis shows that the axe consists of magnetite and geothite, which can explain why the composition and structure of the original ore has been kept intact. The microtexture of the axe has the irregular network of ferrite and pearlite, and tile cementite of tiny amount in the ferrite background. The overall treatment of the texture seems to be thermal with a high ratio of carbon. There are fine-grained magnetite, wolframite, quartz, calcite, mica, hornblende and pyroxene inside the axe. Those must be the impurities that they failed to remove in the refining process. The normal ferrite is composed of pure iron whose $Fe_2O_3$ proportion is from 99.16 to $99.84\;wt.\%$. Other than them, the ferrite parts usually contain $Al_2O_3\;and\;SiO_2$. The irregular network of pearlite also contains Impurities including $Al_2O_3\;and\;SiO_2$ and shows highly diverse patterns of carbon content. It's because the axe was carburized after the material was made to resemble pure iron. The decarbonization work didn't go well along the process marks. It's estimated that the original ore was bloom produced in low-temperature reduction and formed around in $727^{\circ}C$, which is eutetic temperature.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.231-245
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• 2007

The forged iron axe of the middle 3rd Century found in the No. 2 wood-framed tomb from the Hwangseongdong site, Gyeongju is rectangular on the plane level. The iron axe shines in met-allic luster, which is light grey with pale creamy tint. The result of X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the axe consists of magnetite and geothite, which can explain why the composition and texture of the original ore has been kept intact. There are fine-grained quartz, calcite, mica, magnetite, amphibole, unknown tungsten minerals, pyroxene and olivine inside the axe. Those must be the impurities that they failed to remove in the thermal treatment process. Generally, the iron axe consists mainly of pearlite texture coexisting ferrite and cementite, and show high carbon contents with homogeneous distribution. It can be interpreted the axe was carburized after the material was made to resemble pure iron. The decarbonization work didn't go well along the process marks. Crude ores of the iron axe are possible utilized by magnetite from the Ulsan mine on the basis of the occurrences and inclusions. It's estimated that the original ore was bloom produced in low-temperature reduction and formed around in $727^{\circ}C$, which is eutetic temperature.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.240-251
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• 2019

This study examined the manufacturing technology used for the flat iron axes excavated from Ulsan Hadae. Their microstructures were analyzed using metallurgical methods. In addition, a variety of manufacturing technologies were examined and compared using existing research materials on flat iron axes. As a result of analyzing ten flat iron axes, which were excavated in the order that they were laid out in a row in one of the wooden coffin tombs at Ulsan Hadae, Tomb No. 44, it was possible to classify the flat iron axe manufacturing technology and system into three types: 'pure iron - shape processing', 'pure iron - shape processing - carburizing', and 'pure iron - shape processing - carburizing - decarburizing.' All of the flat iron axes were produced by forging, and most of them were made by beating the pure iron into their shapes. In particular, a number of the flat iron axes were reinforced through a carburizing process after shaping the iron. This appears as steel products forming the basis of the steel industry at the time were commonly used as an intermediary material or currency. On the other hand, it was commonly found in all samples that the hardening was not performed after shaping or carburizing. Since the microstructure of the flat iron axes made of pure iron contained a large number of impure inclusions and the result of analyzing the components of the non-metal inclusions showed characteristics of slag which contains a mixture of glass phase and wustite, it is possible that low-temperature reduction was used in the refining process.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.18 s.18
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• pp.33-50
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• 2006

Around Yeongsan river basin, there are Yeongkwang Gundong, Muan Inpyeong Tombs, Muu Gusan-ri Tombs and Hampyeong Guksan remain from which a lot of iron artifacts were excavated. Among them, 6 iron artifacts were chosen, and their microstructures were analyzed. As a result, Iron artifacts were produced sponge iron by the low temperature reduction process and a part of microstructure have the possibility that steel made by decarburizing. And also, by tempering the parts which need high strength, the iron artifacts had high strength and by distributing the weakness of the tempered structure to the nearby untempered parts, their breaking was prevented and they had the durability. These skills were used then. Especially these skills were found to be used in the 2nd century by high skilled people because an iron axe excavated at Yeongkwang Gundong of 2nd century by the historical record showed that the skill was used. Also microstructures were found to show the possibility that the iron technology was inherited to the late 5th century. When producing iron artifacts made of sponge iron containing small amount of carbon, that was made by the production process repeating molding, carburizing, heat treatment and hammering.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.27
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• pp.165-180
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• 2006

The research was conducted to understand type of iron used by those who lived at dwelling site of Yangsoo-ri in between the first century B.C. and the first century A.D. to make steel products and their technique such as steel making process and heat treatment, based on micro structure information obtained through microscopic metallographic structure analysis with SEM-EDS of six steel productsexhumed at the site. Key findings are summarized as below. In the sense that Si-Ca-Al style and less than 0.5% of Ti were found in the non-metallic inclusion, the material used for forged iron ware was magnetite resolved in that. It is, however, unclear whether magnetite was resolved at high temperature or at low temperature. Microscopic structure analysis revealed that forged steel products were made through repeated hot working, the technique of molding by hitting after heating in the process of resolving and molding iron. As a result, the iron used here for the products was not the iron ore which was produced through resolution from discarded cast iron axe, ingot iron. It is probable that to make those steel products, disposed-of cast iron was reused after being molded by decarburizing. Although a few of relics were analyzed for the research, they were of critical importance in defining the process of ironware production from the first century B.C. and the first century A.D. at the Yangsoo-ri region. Judging from the iron from A-19 dwellingsite, it is possible to conclude that the iron was manufactured from cast iron decarburized and yet more research has to be done into relics yetto be exhumed in order to ascertain the finding. All of these findings are believed to play a critical role in further studies to define the steel-manufacturing technique used on the central Korean peninsular in the ancient times.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.31
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• pp.173-202
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• 2010

Within the framework of the Mongolian-Korean Joint Project for "Research and Preservation of Cultural Heritage", I enrolled in 3 months training course from February to May 2010 at the Metal laboratory of Conservation Science Division in National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Korea. Some metal artifacts, which are preserved in Institute of Archaeology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, were brought and restored there. These chosen findings were found at Gobi and mountainous region of Mongolia, preserved under the different circumstances and dated back to Middle Age from Bronze Age. At the Metal laboratory of the NRICH, the conservation work was carried out for three months on 15 metal objects, including arrowhead, stirrup, caltrop, axe, knife, ring and so on, which were found at Khugshin Teel's ruin of Khairkhandulaan soum of Uvurkhangai province, Ungut of Altanbulag soum of Tuv province, Baruun Naran and Ukhaa khudag of Khankhongor and Tsogttsetsii soums of Umnugobi province. The report of the result of this conservation work is available here.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.134-149
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• 2013

The Sudang-ri Site in Geumsan is considered the historic site where Baekje dominated the inland traffic route to Gaya through Geumsan and Jinan in the 5th Century. This study identified the production techniques of iron by conducting an analysis of metallographical microstructure of the artifacts such as an iron sword and an iron sickle that were excavated in Sudang-ri Site, Geumsan, one of the regions ruled by Baekje, and tried to figure out the characteristics and the technical systems of Baekje's ironmaking around the 5th Century by comparing them with other iron artifacts produced around the same time. The analysis showed that various production techniques were applied to the artifacts excavated in Sudang-ri Site, Geumsan. Depending on the production techniques, they can be divided largely into three methods: the simple shape-forging method, the steel manufacture method after forging, and the steel manufacture & heat-treatment method after forging. The iron sickle from the stone chamber tomb No. 1, which was produced only through forging, is mostly composed of soft ferrite at both edges of the blade and at the rear making the use of the weapon impractical. From this fact, it is presumed that they were produced as burial objects or ceremonial accessories for the person buried. The iron axe from the outer stone coffin tomb No. 1 and the iron swords and sickle from the outer stone coffin tomb No. 12, which were produced through the steel manufacture method after forging such as carburizing, did not go through the heat treatment such as quenching, but applied different production processes to each part. Therefore, it is deemed that they were produced as daily tools for cultivation rather than burial objects or ceremonial accessories. The production techniques following the forging process - carburizing and heat treatment - can be found on the iron swords from the outer stone coffin tomb No. 5 and the outer stone coffin tomb No. 12. The sturdy structure of the blade part and the durable structure of the rear processed with heat are deemed to have been produced as weaponry and used by the person buried. Based on the analysis of the iron artifacts excavated from Sudang-ri Site in Geumsan, the characteristics of iron production techniques were investigated by comparing them with the artifacts from Yongwon-ri Site in Cheonan, Bongseon-ri Site in Seocheon, and Bujang-ri Site in Seosan that were made around the same time as the cluster of Baekje tombs examined by the metallographical microstructure analysis of this study. For the iron artifacts analyzed here, the changes in the techniques were investigated using the iron swords common in all of the tombs. In the case of the iron swords, it was identified the heat treatment technique called tempering was applied from the 4th Century.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.367-378
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• 2013

Microstructures and nonmetallic inclusions of five forged iron axes and one cast iron axe were analyzed. The axes were excavated from the Proto-Three Kingdom Period site located in Yangchon, Gimpo. The forging objects were made of almost pure iron and low carbon steel, and only one among five were quenched after its figuration. Malleable cast iron structures showing on the casting suggest that the decarbonized casting method were applied. According to the results of nonmetallic inclusion analysis, the axes were produced by hammering the iron bloom which was attained with low-temperature -solid-reduction-method. Showing higher Fe content over $SiO_2$, it is assumed that the re-collecting rate of Fe was low because of the insufficient forging temperature and the impurities were included during the smelting process. It is assumed that the lime was used as a preparation because of detecting high Ca contents.

• Journal of architectural history
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.55-76
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• 2006

History of architecture technology is the area where further studies are the most needed in Korean architecture history. This present study deals with architectural tools and woodworking of Baekje as a first step in exploration of Korean architecture technology history especially, that of Baekje dynasty. Based on the study of real artifacts and archeological sites showing the trace of tool use, function and forms of architectural tools were classified, characteristics of tools investigated, and woodworking technology analyzed. The main tools of analysis include Square, Black Inkpot, Hatchet, Saw, Chisel, Wood Hammer, Axe, and Plane. It is assumed that architectural technology during Baekje dynasty might have leapt into the new stage thanks to the regular use of iron tools. Compared to those of previous eras, iron tools of Baekje are more elaboratedly-designed and well-defined in function. In addition, wooden architectural tools from Baekje demonstrate the superiority of its woodworking technology Historical record also shows the fact that craftsman from Baekje participated in construction of temples of Shilla and Japan. Precise assessment of Baeje architecture technology is difficult because no Baekje wooden architecture is still remaining. The facts mentioned above, however, surely prove the excellence of architecture technology of Baekje.