• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.148-165
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• 2017

Mural paintings drawn inside ancient tombs are very sensitive to changes in the environment such as temperature and humidity, especially the finish layer of the tomb murals differ in preservability depending on the material properties and humidity conditions. In this study, I examined the mural painting of Songsan-ri Tomb No.6, where the finish layer was made of earth, and identified the physical changes that can occur due to drying, depending on the material properties of the finish layer. I found out through particle size analysis that the finish layer of the mural painting in Songsan-ri Tomb No.6 is about 85.0wt% below silt, about 14.0wt% clay therein, mostly composed of silt and below clay. I also found out through physical property evaluation that surface change rate of samples showed the largest change at 15.5% in reproduced finish layer sample made up of bentonite, followed by 7.8% of reproduced finish layer sample made up of celadon soil, 6.3% of reproduced finish layer sample made up of loess, 6.2% of reproduced finish layer sample composed of white clay and the same order of change in appearance was confirmed in each sample consisted of soil. In addition, it showed the same trend of surface change rate, and the bentonite condition showed the largest change, in the measurement of shrinkage rate and expansion rate. The experiment shows that the finish layer composed of soil is affected by cohesion among particles according to the content of fine parts and the relationship between the agglomeration due to the content of the differentiated part and the stress due to the expansibility depending on the kind of the clay mineral etc. Therefore, it can be concluded that the physical damage occurred in the mural painting finish layer of the Songsan-ri Tomb No.6 is related to the factors such as the material characteristics of the soil and the highly humid environmental change inside the tomb.