• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.549-560
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to identify the material characteristics of blackwares excavated from the Bonggok kiln site in Jinan-gun, Jeollabuk-do Province, South Korea, by scientific analyses and a reproduction experiment. Scientific analyses were conducted to determine the physical properties, chemical composition and for microscopic observation of blackwares. A reproduction experiment was also conducted by producing ceramic samples with black glaze, red ocher and limestone, and then cross sections of the samples were observed. The analysis results showed that all the excavated blackwares have similar properties such as chromaticity, specific gravity, absorption factor and porosity, but there is a difference depending on the crystallization of the ceramics. Thermal analysis showed that the exothermic peak was observed at about $1200^{\circ}C$, and crystal structure analysis indicated the presence of mullite. Hence, it can be concluded that the firing temperature of the excavated blackwares was around $1100-1200^{\circ}C$. Moreover, the glaze present on these blackwares has about 22% higher $Fe_2O_3$ content than those excavated from other places; however, the former has lower CaO content. For the reproduction experiment, samples were made using limestone as a flux and red ocher as a glaze. The results show that the cross section of the glaze layer of the reproduced sample have iron crystals with dendritic structures, similar to those present in the excavated black-wares. It is assumed that such iron crystals were formed during the process of melting and solidification of the iron oxide present in the blackwares.