• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.254-264
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• 2022

Built in the 6th and 7th centuries during the Baekje period, the Buyeo Royal Tombs consist of seven tombs, including Tomb No. 1, which contains murals. To preserve Tomb No. 1 from damage caused by microorganisms, periodic microbial-distribution investigations are conducted. Following such investigations in August 2016, June 2018, and November 2019, the microbes were classified according to the investigation period, location of collection, and space. This study compares and analyzes the results. The concentration of airborne microorganisms in Tomb No. 1 and the number of microbial genera identified in each space of the tomb decreased as proximity to the main room with murals diminished. During the investigation period, the genera Bacillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Streptomyces were commonly identified on Tomb No. 1. The microorganisms collected from the main room walls were mostly isolated from the east and west walls where the genera Bacillus, Cupriavidus, Paenibacillus, Pseudomonas, and Streptomyces were commonly identified in three or more walls. In particular, the genus Streptomyces is a dangerous strain capable of damaging murals by penetrating into and discoloring the pigments on them. The data generated from this study may be useful for future research on microbial distribution in other domestic mural tombs and those located in North Korea and abroad.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.104-121
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• 2016

Royal tombs in Neungsan-ri had been studied several times during the Japanese Colonial era. But, conceiving the general complexion of them is difficult for lack of data and analysis of previous studies are still insufficient. Thus, necessity of new approach and understanding in Royal tombs in Neungsan-ri are emphasized by the reviewing existing studies and conservation history. The Serial numbers of the Royal tombs in Neungsan-ri has been registered arbitrarily without clear guidelines from Japanese Colonial era until present time. It means previous studies were devoid of consideration for serial number changes. And, research has shown that Royal tombs in Neungsan-ri counts at least twenty, taking No.8 tomb of recent study into consideration. Moreover, in case of eastern tombs it needs changes in the existing perception that Royal tombs in Neungsan-ri consist of only six-tombs because there was no difference between eastern tombs and central sixtombs considering the burial chamber and lacquered wooden(koyamaki) Coffin. Ultimately, current state of Royal tombs in Neungsan-ri doesn't have authenticity because they had been found and regulated in the Japanese Colonial era. Consequently, it is required to overall study into entrance to burial chamber and covered burial stone marker and exaggerated mounds, ignored another tombs other than six-tombs in the center.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.260-285
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• 2021

This article deals with the current status of investigation of the royal tombs of Baekje (Gongju Songsan-ri Tomb, Buyeo Neungsan-ri Tomb, Iksan Ssangneung) from the Japanese colonial period to the present. A review of the maintenance status is also conducted to see if the survey content was actually reflected in the restoration maintenance of the ruins. First, the structure scale and characteristics of the royal tombs of Baekje during the Woongjin and Sabi periods were identified by examining the survey content organized by period and feature. Through the recent re-excavation survey, it was confirmed that the results of the research during the Japanese colonial period were being verified. Next, before examining the maintenance status of the Baekje royal tombs, related content about maintenance of laws and regulations were extracted to establish the maintenance standards. It was confirmed that the most importance part of maintenance is 'maintenance of the original form' without compromising the authenticity of cultural properties. Based on these criteria, the maintenance status was reviewed. The main part of the burial tomb is located underground, so maintenance is mainly made around the tomb, which is the upper structure. However, most of the original burial mounds have been lost or damaged, so it is difficult to determine their original form. In fact, constant changes in the size and location of tombs from the Japanese colonial period to the present were confirmed in the Songsan-ri and Neungsan-ri tombs, meaning that the current maintenance status is problematic. On the other hand, in the case of Ssangneung, not only are the tombs relatively intact, but there are also few changes in the records, so it seems that maintenance was carried out that preserved the original form of the tombs. Therefore, the maintenance of tombs in the future should be based on 'maintaining the original form', but it is recommended that the 'education and utilization' plan be prepared after determining whether or not to restore the tomb and the degree of restoration.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.91-106
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• 2019

The Donghachong tomb from Royal Tombs at Neungsanri is composed of 15 sides including the floor, and the most highly proportion of rock, two-mica granite, are used on the 7 sides (46.6%). Also, augen gneiss consist with another 3 sides (20.0%), and each of the remaining 3 sides (6.7%) are made up of granodiorite, gneissous granite and leucocratic granite, all of which were used to comprise the tabural stone. Meanwhile, the two floors of the burial chamber and the front chamber, are made up of brick-shaped amphibole schist (13.3%). These rocks are occurred in the Buyeo area and their provenance sites are located at the side of Guemgang river. The Memorial Stone for Liu Renyuen in Tang China is a typical augen gneiss showing distinct schistosity and augen texture. This rock has the same petrographic characteristics with the rocks used to build the Donghachong tomb, Sanjikri dolmens and Setapri pagoda in Buyeo. This augen gneiss is distributed from the Jeungsanri in Buyeo to Dukjiri in Gongju as a large scaled rock body, and where currently are the quarries to produce stone aggregates, garden and landscape rocks. Thus, it is highly probable that the site around Buyeo was the source area of augen gneisses since the Bronze Age. However, while augen gneiss is easier to form into shapes it should have disadvantages when it comes to painting on the tomb wall because of their petrographic characteristics of low strength and dark color. Therefore, it is very intriguing to investigate which transportation method the people of Baekje chose with consideration of the distance and terrain, efficiency and convenience.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.4-19
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• 2012

There remain many royal tombs of the Goryeo Dynasty in Gaeseong and Ganghwa. During the Goryeo Dynasty, these royal tombs were taken over tradition of tomb construction style from previous generation, and they completed their own inventive style. Furthermore they handed down those style to the Joseon Dynasty. The area of tomb was divided into 3 or 4 steps, and stone figures and T-shaped houses for sacrifice were arranged on each steps. It was the stone chamber of lateral opening style which had an entrance to southward, and it was formed as a rectangular box-shaped with a pile of stone walls and a flat ceiling. There was a coffin stand in the middle of floor, and traditional bricks were around them. The wall side and ceiling had been whitewashed and painted pictures. These are general characteristics for the tomb construction style of the Goryeo Dynasty. By the way, we can notice a number of features except those general things with inspection in detail. In early days, we confirmed 1step-parallel fulcrum ceiling, coffin stand of all in one stone, bier of burial artifact, and mural of plant material as a set, but they were changed as flat ceiling, Red-stone wall with rectangular stone, coffin stand set as stone pillar through the period of transitional form as of in the late 12th century. In case of several royal tombs, the fragments of king's epitaph which were confirmed from tombs could be defined owners clearly, and there were considerable timing difference between the large numbers of celadons which were excavated with the fragments of king's epitaph and recording chronologically of stone chamber structure. The reason for timing difference is that posterity artifacts were buried through repairing courses by occasion of destruction caused by robbing of the royal tombs. Meanwhile I inferred the existing hypothesis about owners of royal tombs and autonym ones in comparison the burial spot direction of hypothesis ones and outcomes of excavation. Therethrough, some hypothesis about owners of royal tombs such as Myung-neung which was assumed as tomb of the King Choongmok were not correct.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.543-553
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• 2010

This study was focused on the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of field soil of the Baekje Kingdom from K wongbawigol site in Jeongdongri, Buyeo and whether the bricks from Songsanri Tombs and Muryung's Royal Tomb were made of soil from this site. Soil samples show the similar size fraction as a silt loam and acidic soil, whereas some samples have the enrichment of organic matter, P and S. Also, they have similar geochemical behavior of elements and similar mineral phases consisting of quartz, plagioclase, orthoclase, vermiculite, mica and kaolinite. The enrichment of iron oxide is found in some soil layer, including the iron oxide mottling and precipitation along plant roots and they are attributed to repeat oxidation and reduction environments due to flooding and drainage of field soil. It's anthropogenic alteration by human activity. Especially, it is assumed that the concentration of the iron oxides found in bricks from Muryung's Royal Tomb and Songsanri Tombs is the additional evidence that soil in this study is probably the raw materials of those bricks.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.748-766
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• 2021

The Iksan Ssangneung (twin tombs), a pair of tombs comprising the Daewangneung (large royal tomb) and the Sowangneung (small royal tomb), were constructed in the typical style of stone tunnel and chamber tombs in the Baekje Kingdom during the Sabi period (538 to 660 AD) of ancient Korea. Soil layers exposed during excavation of Sowangneung in a trench east of the tomb are: the bottommost layer, the ground level layer, the Panchuk (rammed earth) layer of the Baekje, the layer created by a grave robbery, and soil recovered during the Japanese colonial period. Soil samples were obtained by segmenting an easy stratigraphic horizon into sub categorized soil layers, and their material properties were analyzed; they are composed mainly of sandy loam based on the particle size distributions. In the site foundation, loamy sand is packed in the bottommost layer, and sandy loam with high sand and silty sand fills most of the overlying layer. The central and topmost portion of the Baekje layer is composed of loam with high clay content. All soil layers show geochemical behaviors similar to those of the bottommost layer. X-ray diffraction analysis verified kaolinite in all layers, also observed in soil layers displaying high crystallinity. Kaolinite and halloysite were identified by scanning electron microscopy. Thus, we conclude that the Baekje layer of the Sowangneung is composed of sandy loam containing kaolin procured from near the site. An impermeable middle to upper layer was created using viscous loam. The top of the tomb was closed tightly.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.453-457
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• 2020

Tomb No. 1 (Donghachong) of the Buyeo Neungsan-ri Tomb complex (listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site), is a royal tomb of the Baekje Sabi Period. One wooden coffin unearthed there is an important relic of the funerary culture of the Baekje. This study examines the production techniques of gilt-bronze objects attached to the wooden coffin excavated from Donghachong. The base metal of the gilt-bronze object is pure copper, with single α phase crystals in a heterogeneous form containing annealing twins; Au and Hg are detected in the gilt layer. We suggest that the surface of the forging copperplate is gilded using a mercury amalgam technique; it is thought that the annealing twins of the base material formed during the heat treatment process for the sheet metal. The gilt layer is three to five times thicker for the gilt-bronze objects found near the foot of the coffin than those near the head. We estimate the plating process is carried out at least three times because three layers are identified on the plate near the head. Therefore, it is likely that the materials and methods used to construct the gilt-bronze objects found in different parts of the coffin are the same, but the number of platings is different. This research confirms the metal crafting techniques used in Baekje by the examination of production techniques of these gilt-bronze objects. Further, our paper presents an important example of restoration and reconstruction for a museum exhibition, through effective use of scientific analysis and investigation.