• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.75-86
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• 2012

Iksan Mireuksaji Stone pagoda was built A.D. 639 when King Moo was governing Baekje, in which Sarira has been enshrined in a hole dug in the stereobate for 1,370 years. In South Korea, about 150 cases of Sarira have been found so far. In this connection, many studies have been conducted on how to manage it and on its genesis, but there have been no data on environments to which it has been exposed. In this study, accordingly, researches were made into environments to which Sarira has been exposed as well as into how much it has been damaged under the environments. Sarira in wooden pagodas was influenced greatly by water, but that in stone pagodas by saturated relative humidity. Thus, Sarira in the containers was significantly influenced by the outside temperature for 1 to 2 days, but had no any reaction to humidity. The time it took for the humidity in a Sarira container to reach its maximum, varied depending upon the humidity of the day when Sarira was enshrined. In the case of this pagoda, the humidity reached its maximum 30 days later.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.215-223
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to reveal the characteristics, correlations, and colorant materials of those using the chemical compositions of 30 glasses excavated from the Sarari hall of the Mireuksaji stone pagoda, and to determine the correlations between them and other glass excavated from the Wanggungri site. The results of the chemical analysis of the 11 glass beads show that they are a soda glass group with high contents of $SiO_2$ and $Na_2O$; these can be further subdivided into soda-alumina groups ($Na_2O-Al_2O_3-CaO-Si_2O$). The characteristics of the stabilizer are classified as being of the high alumina glass group (LCHA), except for two glasses. It was concluded that colorant materials affected the coloring for glass beads by various components including Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu and Pb. In addition, we examined six lead glasses which are glass plate and unknown fragments that are of a common lead glass system ($PbO-SiO_2$) with respect to the average contents of PbO (70wt.%) and $SiO_2$ (30wt.%). As a result of comparing these relics with those of the glass beads excavated by Wanggungri, there is a similarity in that they belong to the soda glass group. However, the contents of $Na_2O$ are relatively higher than that of the glass beads in the Mireuksaji pagoda, and most of relics include glasses with a low content of $K_2O$ and CaO. In addition, the PbO and $SiO_2$ contents are slightly different in the lead glass. It seems that the glass relics made at two different sites may have used different raw materials or techniques.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.187-193
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• 2015

The purpose of the present study is to trace the provenance of lead raw materials using the lead isotope ratio of 9 lead glasses excavated from the Sarira hole of Mireuksaji stone pagoda and to determine correlation between them and other lead glasses excavated from the Wanggungri site. The results of chemical analysis of the 9 lead glasses show that they are common lead glass system($PbO-SiO_2$) with respect to the contents of PbO (70 wt.%) and $SiO_2$ (30 wt.%). The lead isotope ratios of them plot to northern Korean peninsula when applied to the distribution map of lead isotopes of East Asia. On the other hand, southern Korean peninsula is verified as the main deposits of the lead ore in the distribution map of lead isotopes of South Korea. With respect to the results, it is notable that the provenance of the 9 lead glasses can be very different depending on the distribution map. In addition, a comparative study between them and the lead glasses excavated from the Wanggungri which was built in the same region and period shows that their lead isotopes are highly correlated.