• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.6 no.2 s.8
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• pp.110-118
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• 1997

Archaeological research is generally composed of three stages site survey. excavation, and analysis and interpretation. The joint researches between archaeologist, and natural scientists are needed both for better interpretation of archaeological data and preservation of archaeological remains.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.475-490
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to apply one of the geophysical methods, GPR to archaeology. Time slice of analysis method was used to interpret archaeological feature before excavation. Study areas are Pubcheonri burial mound group in Wonju, Songhakdong no. 1 tomb, Gosung in Kyungsangnamdo, and Yoshinogari 2 rows of jar-coffins burial in Saga Prefecture, Japan. We found a stone tomb, spreaded and piled stones from spoiled tombs of the Baekje Dynasty as archaeological features in Pubchonri, Wonju. Songhakdong no. 1 tomb in Gosung was the unique keyhole-shaped tomb in Kyungsangnamdo as we know. But we found that the tomb consists of 3 tombs and there are lots of stone tombs according to the GPR and excavation. From the GPR exploration and excavation, it turned out not be a keyhole-shape tomb. We also found jar-coffins burial in Yoshinogari, Japan. As a result GPR was very helpful to detect archaeological features and pattern before excavation in advance.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.24-41
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• 2007

In this paper several recent case studies of near surface geophysical applications in Greece are presented. The case studies are focused mostly in archeological site investigation, a field which is of high interest in Greece due to its reach historical heritage. The growing construction works in several parts of Greece as well as the increasing public interest in exploring and preserving cultural heritage lead to an increase of the application of nearsurface geophysics techniques as a preliminary investigation tool prior to engineering and archeological excavation works. Research efforts, presented in this work, are focused to extending and adapting standard nearsurface techniques in order to be made more effective for archaeological site investigation. The presented case studies involve not only standard field investigation procedures but also novel approaches such as the use of non-spike electrodes, efficient measuring and instrumentation strategies, unusual configurations and measurement environments. Overall it shown that efficient and state-of-art nearsurface geophysical techniques used for archaeological prospection purposes provide significant archaeological and structural information valuable for archeologists, engineers and conservation scientists.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.20-37
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• 2019

Three Inter-Korea summits and a North Korea-USA summit that were previously unexpected provide a basis for an optimistic outlook for the future development of Korean archaeology. While Korean archaeology has witnessed a great advance since the mid-20th century, it also exhibits significant weaknesses in explaining cultural changes in prehistory and the early historical period in the Korean Peninsula due to the paucity of information on archaeological evidence of North Korea. Recent development of favorable conditions for research and excavations of North Korean cultural heritage could be a valuable opportunity for Korean archaeology to overcome the current adversity. Especially, given the expected large-scale SOC industrial project in North Korea, we need to prepare for the systematic research and excavation of archaeological materials. The present essay attempts to provide a suggestion for the joint archaeological expeditions to excavate and manage cultural resources in North Korea based on a critical review of previous salvage excavations in South Korea, such as those conducted before the construction of the Korean rapid transit railway system (KTX). We suggest that professional archaeologists should be included in the project and oversee the planning and design of road and railway constructions and other SOC projects in order to minimize the cost of trial and error processes that were well exemplified by the KTX salvage excavations. The Korean Archaeological Society and North Korean Archaeological Society may organize a common association that will supervise joint archaeological expeditions. Importantly, The Korean Archaeological Society and other related institutions should prepare to build an organization that conducts impending archaeological excavation in North Korea. While we likely face challenges and difficulties during the various stages of archaeological research and excavations in North Korea, only through thorough and systematic preparation can we avoid the destruction of valuable cultural heritage and find an opportunity for the further development of Korean archaeology.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.224-239
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• 2016

This article aims to review the major problems of the present Korean management system of archaeology and to seek desirable suggestions in order to pursue the sustainable harmony between the recovery of academic excavations and economic development. In order to continue the sustainable harmony between preserving the values of archaeological resources as limited pure public goods and economic development, the present system of developer's payment for archaeology must be replaced by the introduction of the development fee for archaeology. The excavation of archaeological resources have been done according to the market principle, that is, the lower price principle. But the principle has produced a lot of serious problems in the Korean management system of archaeology, which must result in the market failure. So the governmental intervention is urgently required. By introducing the development fee, the archaeological field units and the developers can avoid direct contact. Instead, the Heritage Management Office will operate the excavation fund raised by the development fee for archaeology in order to avoid low-price contracts, degrading excavation quality, and other related residents' complaints and social conflicts in advance. In addition, the budget for purchasing the preserved excavation sites, which are the source of the landowners' enormous complaints, must be allocated to the Heritage Management Office by the Ministry of Planning and Finance. More budget for small-sized excavations must be allocated as well in order to solve many residents' complaints. These budget increase will be the fundamentals to decrease the residents' big complaints and social conflicts in relation with the archaeological management, which will be a challenge of the Korean government. Along with the governmental efforts, the archaeological field units must do their all-out efforts to overcome many problems in excavation including low-price contracts. Finally, the wage system and working status system must be revised. Excellent young excavators must be recruited appropriately and continue to work in a safe psychological condition, which are the basis to guarantee high-quality excavation.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.106-125
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• 2020

From 1949 to the present day, many Koguryo sites have been excavated, in North Korea. It can also be said that archaeological surveys and studies in North Korea have triggered Koguryo archaeological studies in South Korea. However, since the 1990s, the excavation of Koguryo sites and archaeological research in North Korea has been carried out as an extension of Daedonggang culture. Therefore, these archaeological surveys focused on the Pyongyang and more general northwestern areas of North Korea, and the conclusion was that Koguryo was a powerful nation with a millennium-long history inherited Gojoseon. Beginning in 1945 in North Korea, the archaeological surveys and related systems were organized, and burial mounds, castles, and city remains were excavated under the idea that Koguryo was a millennium-long, strong nation. In addition, archaeological research has been conducted to validate and confirm this belief. On the notion that Koguryo was founded in 277 BCE, it was insisted that the age of the tombs in Pyongyang was increased and Pyongyang took the position as a Vice Capital in the 4^th Century. Recently an excavation of the castle located in Pyongyang supports the idea that Koguryo inherited Gojoseon on a layered basis. However, the archaeological and conceptual grounds for the founding of Koguryo in the 3^rd Century BCE or the succession of Gojoseon and Koguryo were insufficient. As can be seen from the reconstruction of the royal tombs of the Dongmyung and Dangun, the archaeological surveys in North Korea were criticized for their selective discoveries and arbitrary interpretations. This further supports the necessity for joint excavations and academic exchanges between South and North Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society of Archives and Records Management
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.1-28
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• 2018

Because archaeological artifacts are often destroyed during physical excavation, the data archaeologists gather in the field is rich with research potential. Few in Korea have paid attention to digital archives for archaeological data or argued for their development. This paper considers the significance and necessity of archaeological data and digital archives for its preservation and access. It also raises awareness of the need to develop a Korean national archaeological data digital archive. The paper first overviews the nature of the archaeological discipline, data, and digital archives. Then it investigates well-known, global cases involving digital archiving of archaeological data. Based on these foundations, the paper discusses principal and prior challenges to developing a Korean national archaeological data digital archive.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.312-321
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• 2021

Underwater archaeology relies heavily on photography and video image recording during surveillances and excavations like ordinary archaeological studies on land. All underwater images suffer poor image quality and distortions due to poor visibility, low contrast and blur, caused by differences in refractive indices of water and air, properties of selected lenses and shapes of viewports. In the Yellow Sea (between mainland China and the Korean peninsula), the visibility underwater is far less than 1 m, typically in the range of 30 cm to 50 cm, on even a clear day, due to very high turbidity. For photographing 1 m x 1 m grids underwater, a very wide view angle (180°) fisheye lens with an 8 mm focal length is intentionally used despite unwanted severe barrel-shaped image distortion, even with a dome port camera housing. It is very difficult to map wide underwater archaeological excavation sites by combining severely distorted images. Development of practical compensation methods for distorted underwater images acquired through the fisheye lens is strongly desired. In this study, the source of image distortion in underwater photography is investigated. We have identified the source of image distortion as the mismatching, in optical axis and focal points, between dome port housing and fisheye lens. A practical image distortion compensation method, using customized image processing software, was explored and verified using archived underwater excavation images for effectiveness in underwater archaeological applications. To minimize unusable area due to severe distortion after distortion compensation, practical underwater photography guidelines are suggested.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.14-32
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• 2022

Underwater photographing and image recording are essential for pre-excavation survey and during excavation in underwater archaeology. Unlike photographing on land, all underwater images suffer various quality degradations such as shape distortions, color shift, blur, low contrast, high noise levels and so on. Outcome is very often heavily photographing equipment and photographer dependent. Excavation schedule, weather conditions, and water conditions can put burdens on divers. Usable images are very limited compared to the efforts. In underwater archaeological study in very turbid water such as in the Yellow Sea (between mainland China and the Korean peninsula), underwater photographing is very challenging. In this study, off-site image distortion and color compensation techniques using an image processing/analysis software is investigated as an alternative image quality enhancement method. As sample images, photographs taken during the excavation of 800-year-old Taean Mado Shipwrecks in the Yellow Sea in 2008-2010 were mainly used. Significant enhancement in distortion and color compensation of archived images were obtained by simple post image processing using image processing/analysis software (PicMan) customized for given view ports, lenses and cameras with and without optical axis offsets. Post image processing is found to be very effective in distortion and color compensation of both recent and archived images from various photographing equipment models and configurations. Merits and demerit of in-situ, distortion and color compensated photographing with sophisticated equipment and conventional photographing equipment, which requires post image processing, are compared.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.08a
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• pp.180-189
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• 2004

The name of (Ban)wolseong thanks to its having a shape like a half-moon. Wolseong fortress is one of 'Gyeongju Historic Area', world heritage. The Silla kingdom's royal palace previously maintained its capital fortress at the locale of Wolseong. However its real face has been kept in mystery. This study grafts Geophysics on modern Archaeology and approaches with scientific and systematic methods to an excavation plan or archaeological study by means of GPR exploration which can complement archaeological curiosity without destroying Wolseong fortress. The exploration area is $12,000m^2$ in front of Seokbinggo(stone storage for ice). It is only $10\%$ area of Wolseong fortress. As a conclusion, GPR detected 7 of squared buildings($8{\times}8m^2$ size), stone wall, an entrance for the fortress, lots of foundation stones, road(presumptive), and a presumptive pond which size is 35${\~}$40m in diameter.