• 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.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.296-305
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• 2020

Konbaung Dynasty was the last unified dynasty that ruled Myanmar from 18^th to 19^th century. During this time Buddhist art flourished in Myanmar due to the interest of the rulers toward their traditional culture. Metal decorative artifacts in the 18^th century are classified into structures and Buddha statues. They are further subdivided into gilt-bronze and bronze objects, depending on their material component. Three-dimensional gilt-bronze decorative artifacts were cast with a brass alloy of Cu-Zn-Sn-Pb and their surfaces were gilded with extremely thin gold leaves (less than 1 ㎛ in thickness). The gilded layer approximately comprised 10 wt% silver in addition to the main element, gold. The lack of Hg in the gilded layer, indicated that the amalgam gilding technique was not applied. The analysis results indicated that the lacquered gilding technique was applied to the objects. Bronze decorative artifacts without gilding were cast with materials containing Cu-Sn-Pb. The bronze pavilions and bronze Buddha staues were crafted using the same alloy of high-tin bronze, which approximately contained 20 wt% Sn. No heat treatment was applied to reduce the brittleness of the objects after they were cast with a large amount of Sn. The most significant difference between the gilt-bronze and bronze decorative artifacts lie in their elemental compositions. The gilt-bronze decorative artifacts with their gilded surface were manufactured using brass containing zinc, while the unplated bronze decorative artifacts were composed of bronze containing tin. Artifacts of the same type and size are classified differently depending on the materials utilized in the surface treatment such as gilding.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.21
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• pp.77-99
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• 2000

Tumuli located in Chodang-dong in Kangreung City are sitesexcavated by the Museum of Kangreung University in 1993.Ofthese sites, a gilt bronze crown and gilt bronze sword with ring pommel with a tri-leaf ornament were excavated from the B-16tumulus. Underneath the gilt bronze crown was the gilt bronzes word with ring pommel with tri-leaf ornament, and these artifacts were treated with Polyurethane foams on the spot followed by special measures for conservation. This manuscript describes measures for conservation andanalysis with regard to the gilt bronze crown, gilt bronze sword with ring pommel with tri-leaf ornament and gilt bronze beltornaments. Bronze on the gilt bronze crown was completely corroded, therefore it was consolidated together with soil in the back of the artifact with Paraloid B72 after cleaning. Polyurethanefoams bottom was finished by applying the mixture of Epoxy resinAW106 and HV935K with soil. On the sword with ring pommel, the wooden part of the hilt was coated with Paraloid B72 (in Xylene) and the blade was consolidated with Paraloid NAD-10 30% after desalting with Sodium sesquicarbonate method. The gilt bronzebelt ornaments were treated with 3% Benzotriazole, coated with Paraloid B72 and then joined by using Cyanlacrylate. Specimens for the gilt bronze crown and gilt bronze belt ornaments were produced and gilding layers were examined under a metallographic microscope. The gilt bronze crown and the gilt bronze belt ornament maintained relatively good gilding quality with uniform gilding layers. Analysis of wood for the sheath of the sword with ring pommel revealed it to be Juglans mandshurica. Further more, analysis of constituents for a blue colored grassbead from dissolution of Polyurethane foams found it to be from the $Na_2O$-CaO-$AI_2O_3$-$SiO_2$ family.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 2010

A bronze dagger excavated from the historical site at Bongili in Gyeongju was examined for its microstructure and chemical compositions. The results show that it was forged out of the Cu-10 weight % Sn alloy having no lead. The application of forging in fabrication and the use of an unleaded alloy distinguish this artifact from other bronze daggers that have been reported in Korea, the majority of which were cast from leaded Cu-Sn alloys. This dagger is a rare and valuable archaeological material suggesting a unique bronze technology practiced in ancient Gyeongju area.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.32
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• pp.155-170
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• 2011

This study intended to identify the ratio of alloy, metallographic examination and hardness on the bronze mirrors excavated in Korea and made the distribution chart of the main components according to each artifact and then tried to compare the ratio of artifacts with that of 鑑燧之齊of Zhouli Kaogongji(周禮, 考工記). Through this research, the components distribution of bronze covered a wide rage but it can be divided into 2~3 groups. When it is categorized into 3 groups, one is the bronze mirror with 70-80% of copper, 15-20% of tin and less than 5% of lead. Another is the bronze mirror with 20%-30% of tin which gives the white luster on metal and the high hardness. The other is the bronze mirror with 60-70% of copper and 15-20% of tin but it has more than 10-15% of lead which causes less luster and the low hardness. It contains less tin than 33%(50%) of tin from 鑑燧之齊 according to the old record Zhouli Kaogongji(周禮, 考工記) of Zhou Dynasty. In Korea the bronze mirror with tin of 鑑燧之齊was never found yet except the case of artifacts analyzed by non-destructive analysis.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.7
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• pp.3-10
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• 2006

The bronze bowl with lid excavated from Eunnyeongchong Tumulus in Gyeongju had been united in the past and then damaged. We removed deteriorated adhesive and other impurities from it and reunited it. Some fragments of the artifact has been lost; in particular, only half of the whole main body remains. Therefore, it needed restoration treatment for exhibition and conservation. The lid, relatively much part of which remains, was treated with the method that could easily detach the restored part; the main body with much restored part was united using epoxy resin so that the restored part could well bear the weight of the artifact.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 2016

Lead isotope ratio of bronze artifacts excavated from Dongchon Site in Sunchang have determined by TIMS. As results of comparison lead isotope ratio of bronze objects with the provenance data of galenas of Korea, China, and Japan, the provenance of three material of bronze objects were turned out to originate from the southern and northern part of China. On the other hands, data were plotted either in zone 3 of the South Korean galena map. The results of these scientific analysis of bronze objects can be used as basic data in comparison researches on manufacturing technology, provenance of bronze objects to be found in the future.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.22
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• pp.61-76
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• 2008

We examined characterizations of Paraloid B72 films when it dissolved in four different solvents-acetone, MEK, toluene and xylene. The surface before and after coating were observed by optical microscope and AFM. Thickness and contact angle of films was measured and surface energy was calculated for grasping properties of films. We also tested adhesive strength of films by scratch tester and durability of films by performing yellowing test. The result was that xylene has better coating property than other solvents. Because 10% Paraloid B72 in xylene film is even, non-mottled, thin, stabilized in yellowish and has proper hydrophobic, we confirmed xylene is good solvent for bronze artifact conservation. However, other tests will need for finding appropriate concentration of Paraloid B72.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.19
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• pp.109-132
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• 1998

According to excavation of Imdang site, these sites were excavated place to a various of sites from Early lron period to the Koryo Kingdom. Artifacts to be conserved were excavated from A, D and E district. Metal artifacts were excavated from D and E district and lacquer ware artifacts were excavated from Adistrict. Metal artifacts including lacquer ware iron sword, imitative bronze mirror, Osujen and bronze artifact with letter and so on. Bronze artifacts were covered with soil and rust and performed consolidation after passivation treatment with Benzotriazole solution. Also, iron artifacts performed desalting treatment with 0.1M sesquicarbonate solution. After desalinization, adhesive of these artifacts were processed with Araldite(rapid type) after consolidation with20%∼30% NAD-10 solution. Lacquer ware artifacts remained fragments of lacquer to be all corroded and soiled. Therefore these artifacts retained its original form. Fragments of lacquer joined with Caparol 1%∼3% solution and the soil of relics coated with PSNY 3%∼6% solution. There were many kinds of lacquer were. Lacquer ware artifacts presumed to a string instrument that provide important clues for lacquer ware research. As for lacquer fragments inquire, paints grain size were $2∼5\mum$ and conformed to vanished three times.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.10
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• pp.652-659
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• 2009

Many ancient and historical artifacts were made by copper and its alloys. In the case of outdoor exposure artifacts, the surface could be suffered from corrosion and tarnish by the reaction with its environment. In order to preserve the artifacts, surface treatment would be needed and BTA coating has been usually applied to tin-bronze. This paper dealt with the evaluation of the properties of BTA coated film using a linear polarization method and AC impedance measurement. On the base of corrosion rate and film resistance for the specimen formed by coating process, optimum coating conditions are as follows; 3 cycles brushing or 3 cycles spraying coatings for natural dried process and 1 cycle brushing coating or 5 cycles spraying coating for hot-air dried process.