• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.107-118
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• 2018

This report does studied for making the method of conserving bracket murals in Daeungjeon of Jikjisa Temple, through the scientific way. Results of evaluated the conservation status at the braket mural paintings, most serious damage is structural damage like cracks, breakage, and delamination. After optical investigation, a characteristic point wasn't found such as underdrawing or traces of a coat of paint. The ultrasonic examination speed by each wall painting was measured from about 195.8 m/s to 392.7 m/s, according to the location of the surface, and it was able to compare the surface properties according to the location. In Infrared-thermal image measurement shows that wall layer separation and paint layer delamination are closely detected, therefore it was able to judge of damage on the objective way. Material analysis revealed that the walls were made by sand and weathering soil. The wall layer combined sand with less than fine sand size by nearly 5:5, and the finishing layer was found to have mixed medium sand and fine sand at approximately 6:4 rates. However, In case of finishing layer, mixing ratios of sizes less than very fine sand were found to be significantly lower than wall. Therefore, it is estimated that the plysical damage such as the separation between the layers of the walls created in the braket mural paintings, is continuously caused by changes in the internal stresses and volume ratio caused by the density differences between the wall and the finishing layers.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.333-343
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• 2018

This study was conducted to evaluate the conservation environment by monitoring temperature and humidity for two years and mapping the remaining pigments of mural paintings to diagnose the conservation state of mural paintings of Royal Tombs in Neungsan-ri. We evaluated the characteristics of condensation in the tomb. Compared with the results of a 2008 survey, we conducted state change of mural paintings in the tomb. The temperature in the main room, which has an annual average soil temperature distribution at 5 m depth in Korea, is maintained at $13{\sim}18^{\circ}C$. The temperature range of the main room was between less than $0.1^{\circ}C$ to $0.5^{\circ}C$, and the diurnal variation of temperature between summer (June to September) and winter (December to January) is the greatest. Condensation is more concentrated in the summer because the outdoor air was typically at higher temperatures than the main room inflows in the tomb. Mapping the remaining pigment composition and particle distribution of mural paintings showed that it was in the range of 36.72~39.53% of the wall area. The pigment range was confirmed to be the same as it was in 2008, through ultraviolet fluorescence reaction and infrared ray investigation. Therefore, the underground environment that receives dew condensation in the summer has been stable since 2008. However, continuous monitoring is needed because the deterioration of mural painting proceeds considerably after excavation and only a small percentage of the pigments survive.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.445-458
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• 2010

The deterioration and structural damage such as exfoliation, cracks, and separation of painted layer on the wall paintings of Maitreya Hall in Geumsan-sa temple have been accelerated since it was re-positioned to the original place after the dismantling from the building in 1993. The examination of which result and analysis described in this study, is a preliminary survey for establishing conservation plan of the wall paintings. It aimed at the understanding of the physical and chemical characteristics of the materials applied in the 1993 conservation. The research focused on the south walls which displayed the worst condition compared to other walls. Samples for the examination for the understanding of micro-structure, chemical composition, cristalisation, and particle distribution, were collected for finishing, middle, and consolidated layers of the walls between pillars and the ones between brackets. Those samples were collected from separated fragments of the walls. The sample analysis displayed that: 1. the 1993 conservation used the similar type of weathered soil as the original for the finishing layer, and such soil and sand for the middle layer; 2. those walls are composed of a group of mineral particles which are relatively equal in size and shape and in their distribution; 3. the mineral particles were cohered forming solid aggregate due to the application of acrylic resin for the reinforcement on the wall. The main composition of crystalisation on the first and the second reinforcement layers of the back walls were lime plaster ($CaSO_4{\cdot}2H_2O$). The overall examination confirmed that the priority of the future conservation treatment should be given to the removal of the first and the second layers of reinforcement and the treatment on the back walls which were partially consolidated.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.22
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• pp.99-108
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• 2008

This research aimed to provide a scientific methodology for removing white and black/brown coloured stains on the wall paintings of tombs of Jinpari No 1 and No 4. in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. For the analysis of chemical composition of stains of the samples from the wall paintings, a microscope and SEM/EDX were used. The analysis confirmed that the fomula of white coloured stains should be $CaSO_4$ or $CaCO_3$ and the black/brown coloured stains should be $CaSO_4$ or $CaCO_3$ with soil deposition. Because of the difficulties of testing several cleaning solutions on sample patches of large area of the painting, the author considered a risk-free cleaning solution as being the most appropriate one, with Ammonium bicarbonate and Anion exchange resin showing satisfactory cleaning effect without visible side effects. For the removal of dense layer of stains, the research suggested that physical cleaning should be followed by applying a cleaning solution.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.22
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• pp.41-52
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• 2019

Inner walls of the stone chamber of West Ancient Tomb No. 1 and 2 in Neungsan-ri, Buyeo-gun have been inspected for possible trace of murals. Tomb No.1 has a rough surface finish of the stone wall and no traces of murals was observed in any part of the stone walls except the ceiling part of the main chamber. On the ceiling surface, there is black colored area, which showed same visual characteristics for both the surface and interior upon slight scratch of the surface, suggesting that it may not be a painted layer. In addition, this black material is not artificial stuff like black ink but is confirmed as biotite from X-ray diffraction analysis that is one of the constituents of the stone wall. In case of tomb No. 2, white material, that is confirmed as lime(calcite, CaCO3) by X-ray diffraction analysis, was observed on the wall surface of the east, west and north, suggesting possible existence of murals. The lime layers, however, are located mostly on the entrance of east wall of main chamber and the place of passage whereas they are observed only in lower parts on the other walls. It may have been formed by the inflow of soil and lime from the outside as the form of the lime layer in the east wall corresponds to the traces of soil and lime deposited from the thief pit. Furthermore, the filling material found in the gap between the stone slabs of the four directions and the ceiling was confirmed as clay soil, which is different material from the lime present on the stone wall surface. If the lime layer had been artificially constructed for the purpose of creating murals, it would have been more reasonable to use lime as well in the gap between the stone slabs of the four directions and ceiling. In this regard, we conclude that there are no murals in the Tomb No. 2 in the Neungsan-ri.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.4-23
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• 2013

Songsalli Ancient Tombs of Gongju consists of seven tombs. King Muryeong's tomb, the seventh tomb, is a brick chamber tomb discovered during the drainage works for the fifth and the sixth tombs in 1971. The excavation at the time focused on topographic surveys of the tomb entrance and the inside of the burial chamber as well as collection of the remains. The burial mount survey confirmed the status of some stone slab remaining and lime-mixed soil layers, but the survey did not examine the exterior structure of the whole tomb as the mounds were removed even more deeply. The excavation revealed damages to the bricks and mural damages due to moisture and fungus in the sixth and the seventh tombs. Between 1996 and 1997, Gongju National University conducted a comprehensive detailed survey of Songsalli Ancient Tombs including a geophysical survey, with an aim to identify the root causes of such degradation. Based on the results, repair took place in 1999 and the fifth, sixth and seventh tombs were placed under permanent conservation to conserve the cultural assets. General public is currently denied access. The purpose of this study was to conduct a three-dimensional resistivity and GPR surveys on the ground surface of the fifth, sixth and seventh tombs of Songsalli Ancient Tombs in order to understand the underground status after repair. The study also aimed to understand the thickness of all the tomb walls and exterior structure based on GPR inside King Muryeong's tomb. The exploration on the ground surface found that the three tombs and soil adjacent to the tombs had resistivity as low as 5 to $90{\Omega}m$, which confirmed that the soil water content was still as high as that prior to the repair work. Additionally, GPR found that the wall construction of the burial chamber of King Muryeong's tomb was approximately 70cm in thickness, while the structure was of 2B with two bricks, about 35cm in length, put together longitudinally(2B brick masonry). The pathway to the burial chamber was of the 2B structure just like that of the burial chamber walls, while its thickness was 80cm with an eyebrow-type arch connected to it. Also, the ceiling exterior appears to have an arch structure, identical to the shape inside.