• Journal of architectural history
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.7-17
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• 2024

Bunhwangsa Stone Brick Pagoda, constructed in 634, is Korea's oldest stone pagoda. As a prototype of the Silla Stone Pagoda, the pagoda was constructed using flagstones. Since it was constructed with flagstones, it has been known to be a pagoda that replicates the brick pagoda until now. The latest research suggests that it copies the India Stupa or the Stacked Stone Pagoda more than the Brick Pagoda. However, the Bunhwangsa stone brick pagoda has a significant difference in terms of construction technique and shape compared to Brick Pagodas, India Stupas, and Stacked Stone Pagodas. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the stone building technique used in Silla. Through this study, I would like to clarify that the Bunhwangsa stone brick pagoda is a stone pagoda that creatively reflects the existing Silla stone building techniques such as stone fortresses and stone chamber tombs.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.154-169
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• 2009

Korea is famous for a number of stone pagodas. In particular, it is noticeable that the stone pagodas came after wooden pagodas in all the Kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Since the advent of wooden pagodas, it was during the latter half period of Three Kingdoms(especially, in the early Seventh century) that the first stone pagoda appeared at Mireuksa Temple site in imitation of the wooden ones. Now that no one can deny that Korean stone pagodas have developed, imitating the wooden pagodas. It is also obvious that the Stone Pagoda at Mireuksa site is the prototype of Korean stone pagodas. However, this study casts doubt on the theory that the stone pagodas in the Silla Kingdom originated not from the wooden pagodas, but from the brick pagodas, whereas the stone pagodas in Baekje Kingdom which has been said to come from the wooden ones. The fact that the temples and pagodas in both Baekje and Silla were erected by the same builders and technicians is one of the evidences supporting the assertion of the study. This study, accordingly, examines on the origin of the Silla pagodas by supposing the two genealogies. The first one can be summarized in chronological order as follows: starting from wooden pagodas, Stone Pagoda at Mireuksa site, Stone Pagoda at Jungrimsa site, Stone Pagoda at Gameunsa site, and Stone Pagoda at Goseonsa site. The second one, on the other hand, runs as follows: starting from bick pagodas, Stone Pagoda at Bunhwangsa, Uiseong Tapri five-storied Stone Pagoda, Seonsan Jukjang-ri five-storied Stone Pagoda, and Seonsan Naksan-ri three-storied Stone Pagoda in order. As the above genealogies show, the origin of the stone pagodas has been an controversy, especially because of the two different points of view: the one is that the roof-supporting strata(Okgaesuk-Bachim) originated from the brick structure and the ancient tomb ceiling of Goguryeo Kingdom, and the other is that the strata is a sort of the simplified design of the wooden roof structure. This study, however, takes note of the difference in length of the strata between the brick pagodas and the stone pagodas; the former stretches out its strata longer than the latter. Consequently, the study points out that the roof-supporting strata of the stone pagodas is originally a sort of modification of the wooden roof structure.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.149-159
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• 2018

The Gyeongju Bunhwangsa Stone Brick Pagoda, which was built with bricks of andesite, is the oldest brick stone pagoda of Silla period. The damage patterns in the stone pagoda are pollutants such as white crust, black crust, discoloration, soil adsorption, and microorganisms, and repair materials. The damage pattern of structural factors in the Stone Brick Pagoda is a bulging phenomenon. According to the X-ray diffraction analysis, white crust are mainly consist of calcite ($CaCO_3$) and thermonatrite ($Na_2CO_3{\cdot}H_2O$) that evaporite finds in nature. Damage pattern varies depending on location of stone pagoda. The pollutants are first story body of pagoda. The microorganisms are confirmed at base, lion statues, first and second story capstone, and repair materials observed at base. The bulging phenomenon appeared on the first story body of the pagoda. Occupancy rates by damage type were higher in the order of microorganisms, pollutants, repair material, bulging phenomenon, and peeling. The highest percentage of individual damage patterns were black microorganisms (39.3%), followed by lichen (17.9%), discoloration (8.0%), white crust (5.5%), cement mortar (5.1%) and peeling (3.1%).