• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.152-163
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• 2014

In this study, Gwanghanru Pavilion (Namwon-si, Cheonbuk Province) was dated by tree rings of pines (Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc., 'sonamu' in Korean). The present Gwanghanru Pavilion is composed of three parts: main, wing and entrance parts. The main part is known to have been built in 1626 and the entrance hall in 1879, but the date of construction of the wing part is still unknown. We dated a total of 55 wood samples which were replaced during the repair process in 2001~2002. Tree-ring dates indicated that both main and wing parts were built in 1626. Tree rings also revealed that the entrance hall was constructed in 1880~1881, and both main and wing parts were heavily repaired together while appending the entrance hall. In conclusion, dendrochronology, i.e., tree-ring dating, was a useful and accurate method to identify the critical dates-such as the dates of original construction, reconstruction, repairs and extensions-for the history of Korean traditional buildings.