• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.4-17
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• 2017

In this research, the chemical composition of the iron artifacts from the late 6th-century to early 7thcentury Baekje remains in Gwanbuk-ri, Buyeo, specifically of the nine iron artifacts including slags, furnace walls and ingot iron excavated in the District "Na", were examined by observing their chemical compounds and microstructures. As a result, GB1 and GB6 were determined to be proto-reduction lumps whereas GB2, GB3, GB4 and GB5 were determined to be tempered slags, respectively. Also, he furnace wall GB7 were containing mullite and cristobalite, which are high temperature index minerals, The extrusion temperature was found out to be about $1200{\sim}1300^{\circ}C$, and it is most likely that the smelting temperature in the furnace was in that temperature range. GB8 ingot iron was determined to be a forged ironware. This ingot iron was an intermediary product for making ironware and its nonmetallic inclusions displayed similar microstructure and contents compared to the forged iron. Because of the existence of proto-reduction lumps and forged iron, the iron making facility located in District "Na" most likely had a small-scale iron making facility that handled iron bloom smelting and refining processes.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.289-300
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• 2022

In the 6^th and 7^th centuries, 5 iron artifacts excavated form the Baekje Stone Tomb in Guryong-ri site, Ungcheon, Boryeong, were studied. The sample were metal microscopic observation, SEM-EDS analysis and Raman micro-spectroscopy analysis were conducted to understand the metallurgical characteristics. The microstructure observation showed the presence of ferrite and pearlite throughout, and differences in carbon content existed depending on the direction. Non-metallic inclusions were in the form of long lines, and most of them were wüstite, fayalite. It is indicated that the artifacts were forge welded using hypoeutectoid steel, with signs of carburizing and decarburizing processes. Some crystals with high P₂O₅, TiO₂, CaO content were identified as sarcopside, ulvöspinel, and perovskite, respectively, through Raman spectroscopy. A comparison of the results with previous studies on the sites of Bujang-ri site in Seosan and Bongseon-ri site in Seocheon, which are adjacent sites in the coastal area, revealed that, while heat treatment technology was available, the artifacts were not heat-treated considering the purpose for use for these artifacts. The chemical composition of the non-metallic inclusions P₂O₅, TiO₂, CaO were plotted in proportions to SiO₂ and compared with adjacent sites. Considering that the P₂O₅/SiO₂ ratio was widely distributed, the refining technology was not uniform. In addition, the TiO₂/SiO₂ ratio was found to be higher than that of other sites, meaning that a titanium-containing ore was used to manufacture the artifacts, unlike in surrounding sites, but it is not detected in all artifacts, so it may have been affected by various factors such as furnace walls in addition to raw materials. Although slag formers were used, considering the CaO/SiO₂ ratio and the (Al₂O₃/SiO₂)/(CaO/SiO₂) ratio, which appear to be similar to the surrounding sites, but it is possible that CaO containing raw ore was used because it is also affected by the components of raw ore. As a result of the study, it is highly likely that ore different from that of the surrounding sites was used for production, but a more comprehensive comparative study with the surrounding sites is needed in the future.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.144-179
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• 2010

Investigation into iron manufacture relics has been active since 1970s, especially accelerated in 1990s across the country. Consideration of the importance of production site relics has lately attracted attention to iron manufacture relics. Methodological studies of the investigation into iron manufacture relics, however, were less made compared with those of the investigation into tomb, dwelling, or swampy place relics. It is because the process of iron manufacture is too complicated to understand and also requires professional knowledge of metal engineering. With the recognition of these problems this research is to form an opinion about how to excavate, to rearrange and classify, and to examine iron manufacture relics, based upon the understanding of the nature of iron, iron production process, and metal engineering features of related relics like slag, iron lumps and so on. This research classifies iron manufacture relics into seven types according to the production process; mining, smelting, refining, tempering, melting, steelmaking, and the others. Then it arranges methods to survey in each stage of field study, trial digging, and excavation. It also explains how to classify and examine excavated relics, what field of natural science to be used to know the features of relics, and what efforts have been made to reconstruct a furnace and what their problems were, making the best use of examples, drawings, and photos. It comes to the conclusion, in spite of the lack of in-depth discussion on application and development of various investigation methods, that iron manufacture relics can be classified according to the production process, that natural sciences should be applied to get comprehensive understanding of relics as well as archeological knowledge, and that efforts to reconstruct a furnace should be continued from the aspect of experimental archeology.