• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.102-115
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• 2014

The stamped earth method is a typical ancient engineering technique which consists of in-filling wooden frame with layers of stamped earth or sand. This method has been universally used to construct earthen walls and buildings, etc. The purpose of this article is to understand the construction method and principles of the stamped earthen wall through analysis of various construction techniques of Pungnaptoseong Fortress(Earthen Fortification in Pungnap-dong). First of all, the ground was leveled and the foundations for the construction of the earthen wall were laid. The underground foundation of the earthen walls was usually constructed by digging into the ground and then in-filling this space with layers of mud clay. Occasionally wooden posts or paving stones which may have been used to reinforce the soft ground were driven in. The method of adding layers of stamped earth at an oblique angle to either side of a central wall is the most characteristic feature of Pungnaptoseong Fortress. Even though the traces of fixing posts, boards, and the hardening of earth - all signatures of the stamped earth technique - have not been identified, evidence of a wooden frame has been found. It has also been observed that this section was constructed by including layers of mud clay and organic remains such as leaves and twigs in order to strengthen the adhesiveness of the structures. The outer part of the central wall was constructed by the anti-slope stamped earth technique to protect central wall. In addition a final layer of paved stones was added to the upper part of the wall. These stone layers and the stone wall were constructed in order to prevent the loss of the earthen wall and to discharge and drain water. Meanwhile, the technique of cementing with fire was used to control damp and remove water in stamped earth. It can not be said at present that the stamped earth method has been confirmed as the typical construction method of Korean ancient earthen walls. If we make a comparative study of the evidence of the stamped earth technique at Pungnaptoseong Fortress with other archeological sites, progress will be made in the investigation of the construction method and principles of stamped earthen wall.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.36
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• pp.267-297
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• 2003

The plain coarse pottery from the Unjeonri Bronze Age relic sites in the Cheonan, Korea were studied on the basis of clay mineralogy, geochemistry and archaegeological interpretations. For the research, the potteries are utilized at the analysis for 6 pieces of plain coarse potteries. Color of the these potteries are mainly light brown, partly shows the yellowish brown to reddish brown. The interior, surface and inside of the pottery appear as different colors in any cases. Original source materials making the Unjeonri potteries are used of mainly sandy clay soil with extreme coarse grained irregularly quartz and feldspar. The magnetic susceptibility of the Unjeonri pottery range from 0.20 to 1.20. And the Unjeonri soil's magnetic susceptibility agree almost with 0.20 to 1.30. In the same magnetization of soil and pottery, the results revealed that the Unjeonri soil and low material of pottery are same produced by identical source materials. The Unjeonri potteries and soil are very similar patterns with all characteristics of soil mineralogy, geochemical evolution trend. The result seems to be same relationships between the behavior and enrichment patterns on the basis of a compatible and a incompatible elements. Consequently, the Unjeonri potteries suggest that made the soil to be distributed in the circumstance of the relic sites as the raw material are high in a greater part. In the Unjeonri soil, the kaolinite is common occurred minerals. However, in the Unjeonri pottery, the kaolinite was not detected in all broken pieces. The kaolinite was presumed to destroy crystal structure during the firing processes of over $550^{\circ}C$. The quartz is phase transition from ${\alpha}$-quartz to ${\beta}$-quartz at $573^{\circ}C$, but the Unjeonri pottery did not investigated any phase transition evidences of quartz. The chorite was detected within the mostly potteries and soils. As the results, the Unjeonri potteries can be interpreted by not experiencing a firing temperature over $800^{\circ}C$. The colloidal and cementing materials between the quartz and low materials during the heating did not exist in the internal part of the potteries. An any secondary compounds by heating does not appear within the crack to happen during the dry of the pottery. The hyphae group are kept as it is with the root tissue of an organic matters to live in the swampy land. In the syntheses of all results, the general firing condition to bake and make the Unjeonri pottery is presumed from $550^{\circ}C$ to $800^{\circ}C$. However, the firing condition making the Unjeonri pottery can be different firing temperature partially in one pottery. Even, the some part of the pottery does not take a direct influence on the fire.