• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.95-107
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• 2010

Biochemical research was carried out on 4 human skeletal remains from historical lime-layered tombs assigned to the Joseon Dynasty in Oknam-ri, Seocheon. The preservation of femur was evaluated by stereoscopic microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Most of specimens showed good histological preservation. The histological results proved to be a good potentiality for biochemical analysis using bio-molecules. The amelogenin gene and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analyses revealed that three specimens perhaps have maternal consanguinity due to sharing with mtDNA haplogroup D4b1, and two specimens buried in the same tomb were a couple in Gatjaegol site. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis indicated that four deads diet were built around C3 plant as rice, barley, wheat and bean. In this study we characterized genetic and diet features from the social stratum who could make lime-layered tombs during period of the Joseon Dynasty. The results suggest that biochemical research using the human skeletal remains from the Joseon Dynasty has the great potential and reasonable value for archaeology, anthropology, and population genetics.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.417-429
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• 2017

This study aimed at the identification of the black coating materials on the pottery surface and manufacturing technique of black burnished pottery excavated from the Pungnaptoseong, Seoul, which is estimated to be royal fortress of Beakje. According to observation of black coated surface and raw materials, potteries can be divided into two groups. The first group potteries have black inner and black surface with well-selected particles. Second group potteries are black in surface only with unevenly selected particles. Each group seems to represent different manufacturing technique in clay selection, color development timing and method. The black burnished pottery contains high values of CaO, $P_2O_5$, L.O.I. and lower content of $Fe_2O_3$ compared with gray pottery excavated from the same site, which indicates plant ashes were used for coloring the surface of pottery in black. According to the result of SEM-EDS mapping of black burnished pottery, carbon was concentrated on pottery surface, while iron was concentrated on the surface of the gray pottery. Based on XRD analysis, firing temperature of the black burnished potteries were fired low temperature range at 700 to $900^{\circ}C$, and that of the gray potteries ranged from $900^{\circ}C$ to $1000^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.541-552
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• 2017

All excavated "buried cultural properties" are supervised by the Cultural Heritage Administration that decides whether to conserve them or not, depending on the necessity for conservation. Currently, there is no legal regulation concerning the administration of relics (including artifacts) and remains (including archaeological sites) that are relocated and restored based on such conservation decisions. Thus, administration of these cultural properties is inadequate. Under these circumstances, this paper recommends the current state of conservation and conservation methods for buried cultural properties excavated at Chungcheongnam-do thus far. Conservation of buried cultural properties excavated at Chungcheongnam-do primarily employ the "relocating and restoration" method; 23 relics and 46 remains employed relocation after dismantling and soil layer transcription method. Moreover, 27 remains were relocated after dismantling and 14 remains employed the transcription method. In terms of area, Buyeo-gun and Gongju-si had 12 relics accounting for about 50%, while according to the period, Baekjae period had 16 relics, accounting for about 70%. In terms of conservation facility, open-air facility had 33 relics, accounting for about 72%. Results of investigating the state of relics' management indicated that public institutions like a museum with a recognizable management system had their own work force and consequently ensured excellent conservation, whereas if there were no apparent responsible bodies, remains were subjected to considerable damage due to mismanagement. Therefore, this problem can be resolved by identifying a recognizable management body as well as ensuring periodical management and supervision. The excavated buried cultural properties are utilized not only for academic purposes, but also for PR or as exhibition material. Hence, this study confirms that meticulous management of buried cultural properties is currently required.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.185-192
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• 2012

Issues of chronology on archaeological remains or relics have been a storm-center of controversy when various archaeological researches have been done. Sometimes there is a limit for figuring out issues of chronology by archaeological research. In that case, the field of natural science is often needed to work out issues of chronology. Among various subjects in natural science, archaeomagnetism plays an important role in dating archaeological remains for baked earth bearing relics. In particular, archaeomagnetism is of use for sites where directly excavated dating proxy is unavailable. Terrestrial magnetism changes along with the passage of time and leaves trace by many kinds of residual magnetization which could be called fossil of terrestrial magnetism. Archaeomagnetic dating method is used to assign a date to the archaeological remains in which baked earth is found by measuring the changes of terrestrial magnetism through the thermal remanent magnetization retained in baked earth. This study aims to constrain the age of fire at Buinsa, Daege, Korea using 27 samples that were collected from a layer of baked earth. Buinsa is famous for the place where kept the first edition of Tripitaka Koreana, which was lost in fire at the second invasion of mongolia. In addition, there is a record that there was revolt around this region in A.D.1203. According to archaeomagnetic dating, ages of A.D.1150~1200 and A.D.1130~1210 were assigned for the two building sites in Buinsa, respectively. To this end, it can be concluded that the layer of baked earth on the two building sites in Buinsa recorded the vestige of fire caused by revolt.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.23
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• pp.81-93
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• 2008

The analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA) in paleogenetics has become an increasingly important subject of archaeological, anthropological, biological as well as public interest. In this study, paleogenetic analyses were carried out on the human skeletal remains from a historical cemetery site in Myeongam-ri, Asan, Korea. Archaeological records show that this particular location had been used as a habitation or mortuary site as early as the Bronze Age and up until the Joseon Dynasty. Human remains of twenty individuals out of forty-nine tombs from the Goryeo to Joseon Dynasty were selected for the analysis of this study. In order to identify the genealogy of the population and traditional burial pattern of the cemetery, we conducted comparative analyses of the hyper variable regions (HVRs) in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of each sample. A number of cautious steps were taken at all experimental stages in order to avoid erroneous recombination by the segmental and modern contaminations derived from the researchers. We sequenced segmental amplicons of HVRs andassigned relevant haplogroups according to the sequence polymorphism on the basis of the known mtDNA database. The result shows that diverse haplogroups were unexpectedly present in the small population group of the Myeongam-ri site. This diversity appears to be related to the geographical conditions and archaeological properties of the Myeongam-ri site.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.121-130
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• 2017

The currently used wax agents for preserving outdoor metal structures, despite their advantages, have disadvantages such as low endurance and reliability. These wax agents are easily damaged by acid rain, dust, moisture in the air, yellow dust, and air pollutants, resulting in corrosion within a short period after the initial conservation treatment. In addition, aged wax can also exhibit changes in the color or gloss, and also give a sense of difference in the surface. Given these existing problems, it is necessary to develop improved materials for metal preservation. Therefore, this study analyzed the characteristics and applications of the existing wax coating agents in order to identify their disadvantages and to develop a better material for metal preservation. In this regard, this study developed a perilla oil based compound wax and conducted experiments to test its endurance. The new compound wax agent was exposed to outdoor and acid rain conditions: it showed four times and 1.5 times the endurance of the existing wax agents in outdoor and acid rain conditions, respectively. In addition, the new agent seems to be more durable and protective as evidenced by the chromaticity, polish maintenance, and contact angle results. Further, although it is 1.3-1.8 times thicker than the existing agents, the new agent shows a more even surface. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the new compound wax agent based on perilla oil is a better alternative to the existing was coating agents.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.17
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• pp.55-68
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• 2016

Conservation and research efforts are currently underway at the National Museum of Korea on a series of artifacts excavated from Tomb No. 9 at Seogam-ri nearly a century ago by an archaeology team from the institution's colonialera predecessor. Among these objects are a number of bronze and gilt bronze buttons. The present study explores the production techniques used in making such buttons. Both bronze and gilt bronze buttons are hemispherical in shape and are similar in external appearance. However, their shanks differ significantly in size and cross-sectional shape, some with a round cross-section while others are square. The buttons, first sorted into two groups by each type of shank, were further subdivided by size. Analysis of round shanks has found variations in design and location as well as in shank thickness. In addition, the location where round shanks attach to buttons are usually irregular in surface. Square shanks, on the other hand, are more uniform in design and location. The shanks are typically located on the backs of buttons and attach to a groove which ostensibly serves to mark the correct position. X-ray imaging has revealed that round shanks have thick borders made from metal rather than dirt or other material. The buttons themselves appear to been cast using lost-wax technique. The ways in which each shank attaches to its respective button varies based on its cross-sectional shape.

• KOMUNHWA
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• no.68
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• pp.7-24
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• 2006

This article is the critical review of the methods and assumptions with which the Korean archaeologists have tried to approach to the Bronze age society. It was not until the 1980s' that there had been any attempt to define the relevant units for the study of past societies. Before the archaeological records of megalithic builders in the Bronze age began to be analyzed to find out the general traits of chiefdom society, Korean archaeologists had described the variations in the cultural, rather than the social, entities. From the 1990s' , some scholars have attempted to reconstruct the scale and organization of the social groups and explain the growth of polities in evolutionary view, analyzing the hierarchical distributions of settlement data. In the concluding remarks of the review, I would like to indicate the some problems in the conceptualization of the material culture patterning in the regional and/or inter-regional level. First, the conceptual problem which appeared when the Bronze archaeologists define the distribution of artifact assemblages, composed of the specific artifact traits , beyond the instrumental categories that are efficient for the establishments of regional chronologies. It is evidently erroneous conceptualization that we define the artifact assemblages as the socio-cultual entities which came into being in specific time and place, geographically expanded, and finally disappeared based on the view of essentialism. Second, the interpretative problems about wide distributions of certain bronze artifacts must be indicated. I would like to suggest that the wide distributions of the specific bronze dagger or mirror types should be explained not by the cultural area concept related to the ethnicity assumptions, but by the world system or the inter-regional interaction models.

• KOMUNHWA
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• no.68
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• pp.77-92
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• 2006

This paper is mainly deals and suggests about a brief history, an expansion and management of the pubic education program which is running by the university museum after careful analysis of the past and current public education program. There are 20 university museums which operate public education program inducing Seoul National University, Ehwa Women's University, Chungbuk National University and Yeungnam University, etc. Yeungnam University museum has been well running the public education program since l990. The public education program named museum university, museum class, culture class, that have been constantly changing and diversify the theme and education method. After careful analysis of the curriculum, it consists of the fields of archaeology, art history, folklore, anthropology, and modern arts. The programs are being held in the classroom and taking field trips to the related sites. Most of the lectures are given by the university professors and students are mainly mid-aged female. I found that the self evaluation and participant evaluation are insufficient for now. Education on demand program development is needed and also it is mandatory set up the curriculum opening committee. A good way to make the public education program is that to establish the sub-cormmitte talk group under KAUM and I feel keenly the necessity of the constant research on the public education program systematically. I guess it is worth to open a program for youth and weekend program for family.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.08a
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• pp.157-179
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• 2004

The application of magnetic method for archaeoprospection has been carried out through two archaeological areas in Egypt, Abydos and Abu Sir, In order to find out tile ancient Egyptian archaeological features. The magnetic work at the selected archaeological site of Abydos area was carried out by gradiometer survey, while magnetic work at the selected archaeological site of Abu Sir area was carried out by gradiometer survey and magnetic susceptibility measurements. A gradiometer survey with raster of 0.5 m/0.5 m has been carried out on a surface area of $9600 m^2$ at Abydos area to relocate the buried Solar Boats. The magnetic data were processed using Geoplot software to treat the field noises and enhance the quality of the obtained images. The final magnetic images indicate the existence of 12 Solar Boats as well as tombs, remains of ancient rooms and walls. All of them are expected to belong to the Middle Kingdom, particularly from the 18th to 20th Dynasties. Two magnetic tools have been applied over a selected site of $25600 m^2$ at Abu Sir area in order to detect the hidden archaeological features nearby the Sun Temple. The acquisition of the magnetic data was initiated by the measurements of the topsoil magnetic susceptibility of 272 samples collected from the whole studied area, and then followed by the gradiometer survey to measure tile vertical gradient of the geomagnetic field over an area of $14400 m^2$. The magnetic susceptibility results show the presence of high concentration at the middle part of the study area with a little extension to the south western side, with maximum value of about $36{\times}10^5$ SI. They may indicate the proximity of ritual monuments. Also, they offered the site of interest for carrying out a gradiometer survey. The gradiometer results show tile existence of numerous distributed archaeological features made of mud-bricks with different shapes and sizes. They may indicate tombs, burial rooms, dissected walls; all of them are expected to belong to the 5th Dynasty of pharaohs, who used to build their buildings by mud bricks. The depth of the expected buried archaeological features has been estimated from tihe gradiometer. It is around 1.2m for deep features and 0.42 m for shallow features.