• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.299-310
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• 2016

The Stele for Buddhist Monk Wonjong at Godalsa Temple Site was destroyed a long time ago. Only the tortoise-shaped pedestal and the ornamental capstone in the form of a hornless dragon remain at the site and the broken stele body is stored at the National Museum of Korea today. The stele is made of two kinds of rocks that are coarse-grained biotite granite for the pedestal and the capstone, and fine-grained biotite granite including hornblende assemblages and feldspar phenocrysts for the stele body. The coarse-grained biotite granite of the pedestal and capstone showed same magnetic susceptibility and lithological characteristics with biotite granite outcrops in Yeoju area, whereas the fine-grained granite of the stele body did not. To find a provenance of the stele body stone, we investigated Korean granites in terms of magnetic susceptibility, lithology and old recordings about construction process of the stele. As a result, Haeju granite is the most likely to be a cognate rock of the stele body stone as it has same texture and lithological characteristics like color, hornblende assemblages, mineral composition and magnetic susceptibility. It is imported from Haeju (North Korea) to South Korea via China commercially, and the most suitable for a replica stone of the stele body.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.186-197
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• 2022

The Daejanggakgibi Stele of Silleuksa Temple in Yeoju is a stone stele from the Goryeo Dynasty that is inscribed with various stories about the construction of Daejanggak, a place where Buddhist scriptures were kept. This stele has been maintained for a long time in a state in which discoloration of the body has occurred, and the inscription has been partially damaged due to dozens of cracks. Using non-destructive analysis methods for stone artifacts, material investigation, portable X-ray fluorescence analysis, and ultrasonic velocity analysis for the stele were performed. It was confirmed that the stele body was composed of light gray crystalline limestone, and the base stone, support stone, and cover stone were medium-grained biotite granite. Portable X-ray fluorescence analysis confirmed that iron(Fe) was an original coloring element of the stele surface. From the distribution pattern of the coloration, it can be inferred that iron-containing materials flew down from between the stele body and the cover stone. Thereafter, living organisms or organic contaminants attached to it so that yellow and black contaminants were formed. Ultrasonic diagnosis revealed that the physical property of both the front and back surfaces ranged from fresh rocks(FR) to completely weathered rocks(CW), and the average weathering index was grade 3(intermediate). However, the point where cracks developed intensively was judged to be the completely weathered stage(CW), and some cracks located in the upper and lower parts of the stele bear potentially very high risk. It is necessary to monitor the movement of these cracks and establish reinforcement measures for conservation in the future.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.19
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• pp.1-18
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• 2018

The Stele for National Preceptor Hongbeop from the Jeongtosa Temple site in Chungju is one of the most important stone cultural heritage items for exemplifying the style of the Goryeo era. Despite its obvious value, this relic has been stored in a weathered condition at the National Museum of Korea. It had suffered various dismantling and displacements during the Japanese colonial period and had long been exposed in the open air. The stele was selected as a subject for the Stone Monuments Restoration Project launched by the National Museum of Korea in 2015. In preparation for its outdoor exhibition as part of the restoration project, this study investigated the characteristics of its materials, produced a map of its deterioration from weathering, and carried out ultrasonic analysis of the materials to provide findings useful for conservation treatment. The materials analysis revealed that the turtle-shaped pedestal of the stele was made from two-mica granite consisting of medium-grained quartz, plagioclase, alkali feldspar, biotite, and muscovite. Its body stone is crystalline marble, the rock-forming mineral in which is medium-grained calcite in a rose-pink color with dark grey spots. The dragon top of the stele is made of crystalline marble, the major component of which is medium-grained calcite of a light-grey color. The deterioration consists of 21.5% abrasion on the stone body, with its south face most damaged, and 18.6% granular disintegration, with the north face most damaged. The ultrasonic material characterization conducted for mapping the general condition of weathering shows low values on the parts-assembly area of the turtle-shaped pedestal and on the upper portion of the stone body. It is considered that there is dislocation due to partial blistering and fracturing as well as to the differences in surface treatment. Prior to the outdoor exhibition of the stele, the surface was cleaned of contaminants and was consolidated based on the scientific investigation in order to prevent weathering from the external environment.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.13
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• pp.14-36
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• 1992

The investigation has been made on the rocks consisting the pagoda(12), Buddhist Statues(9) Buldaejwa and cakra(2, rewpectively), stele(5), and Flagpole wupport and stupa(6) which are stood in Weonju city, Weonju-gun, Hwoengseong-gun and Hongcheon-gun, Kangweondo. These rock-monuments range mostly in age from late Shilla Kingdom to middle Korye Kingdom. The geology around this region is mainly composed of Precambrian metamorphic rocks and mesozoic granitic rocks. The granitic rocks are largely divided into Jurassic and cretaceous ones which are slightly different in rock phase. The main rock phase consisting the monumentsare are coarse biotite granite with minor amount of hornblende in Jurassic age. Variation in rock phase is abserved even in part of the stone used in the monuments. Inclusions composed of biotite and hornblende, porphyritic texture with microcline phenocryst, igneous lineation and exfoliation according to weathering are observable in all rocks in these monuments. In the case of stele whose a body and a capstone is remained, one is composed of black slate and the other white limestone. But the turtle shaped pedestal is constituted of coarse biotite granite. These stone-monuments are strongly weathered and exfoliated out about 1∼2mm.In case of exfoliated weathering along igneous lineation, some are taken off about 3∼5mm thick. In some monuments, the degree of weathering is somewhat different according to position, grade of sculpture, and biological activity.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.427-438
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• 2014

To measure the depth and extension on the surface cracks of the stone monument, ultrasonic pulse velocity targeted at the Mulgyeseowon Stele in Changnyeong was used in this research. Additionally, to establish a long-term countermeasure of management and conservation for this stele, we have investigated the material properties and damage on it and have conducted a precise diagnosis by a variety of non-destructive techniques. Our research has revealed that stones of the stele are composed mainly of three rock types according to the parts of it, alkali-feldspar granite, gabbro and diorite. The result of the deterioration evaluation has occurred that cracks, which are observed from every direction in the body of the stele, are the significant factors to reduce structural stability. The ultrasonic velocity for an evaluation on the properties of the stele has revealed that the speed was high in the order of body, pedestal and crown. Furthermore, to understand the present condition and occurrences of the cracks which have measured in many different forms on the stele quantitatively, we have estimated from 0.6 to 24.1cm deep of the cracks by To-Tc method using ultrasonic velocity.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.19
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• pp.57-66
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• 2006

The rock consisting the Naju-Dongmunoi-Seogdanggan (Stone Stele)(Treasure number 49) is biotite granite of medium to coarse grains which might be taken from nearby area. The rock is mainly composed of quartz, plagioclase, alkali feldspar and biotite. Due to strong weathering grail peel-off and surface exfoliation are well developed. The rock surface is changed into pale brown or pale black colors according to weathering, organism and weathering product of iron band. Major deterioration phenomena are grain peel-off, surface exfoliation, cracks and damage which may be originally classified into weathering, effect of weathering product of iron band, organisms, structural unstabilities and impact.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.90-107
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• 2013

The Stone Monument of Taejong King in Heonreung Royal Tomb, Seoul was originally erected in 1424 to pay a tribute to Bang Won Lee's achievement who was named Taejong, the Third King of Joseon Dynasty. The monument has been damaged by Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592 so that another monument was newly made and erected together with the original monument in 1695. The original monument was made of medium-grained biotite granite for the turtle base and medium-grained milky white crystalline limestone for the stele body and the top stone. The turtle base of the original monument is destroyed beyond the original shape and inscription due to irregular shaped breaking and a set of longitudinal crack. Analyzing the deterioration degree by using nondestructive methods, the 88 percentage of the front area and 38 percentage of the back area of the monument are damaged, and the lower part of the stele body is dominantly deteriorated especially due to the combination of discoloration and physical deterioration. The new monument in 1695 is also made of granite and limestone. The weathering indices of the turtle base and stele body stones by the calculation from ultrasonic velocity are 0.10 and 0.74, respectively. This is because the original monument is presumed to be degraded by heat shock and physical attack during the Japanese war, and the long-term outdoor exposure accelerated the weathering of the monument afterward without protective shelter.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.93-104
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• 2013

Daejiguksaptapbi (Tapbi) is a memorial stele which is inscribed with personal history of a state preceptor, Daejiguksa Beopkyeong. The Tapbi comprises tortoise-shaped pedestal, dragon top and body stone, and the body stone is remained in 255 pieces by excavation in Samcheonsaji temple site of Seoul. The Tapbi is composed of tuffaceous breccia for the body, coarse-grained pink feldspar granite for the pedestal and fine-grained granite for the top. As a result of geological survey to find a rock provenance of the Tapbi rock, the tuffaceous breccia is found in the banks of Gangwha straits, and the pink feldspar granite and fine-grained granite are found around the temple site in Mt. Bukhansan. Each rock shows similarities to the Tapbi in lithology and mineralogy. Also, geochemical data of major, some trace and rare earth elements verify their cognation in each rock type. It can be interpreted that the provenance of the body stone is distant as Gangwha area, and the provenance of the pedestal and top stones are near the temple site. The results can be utilized to restore the Tapbi by using the same rocks.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.15
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• pp.56-65
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• 2014

The face of the Seated Stone Buddha ^{Korean Treasure No.84} of Sinboksa Templesite in Gangneung was contaminated with a glossy resin, spoiling its beauty. The contaminants covered the face, the forehead of the urna, to the bottom of the jaw. FT-IR analysis on a sample of the contaminants identified the substance as cyanoacrylate instant adhesive, which can normally be melted with acetone and removed with a swab. However, given that the surface of the statue was severely weathered from prolonged open-air exposure, alternative removal procedures were considered, to minimize the possibility of physical damage. After research, two removal procedures were utilized: one procedure involving poultices, which had been used to remove graffiti from the Samjeondobi Stele, and one procedure involving steam sterilization, which has been used to remove resin from pottery and porcelain. When both the poultices and steam sterilization were applied together, the resin was removed within twenty-four hours, without physical work using a swab.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.122-143
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• 2010

The Shilla Stone Monument in Jungseongri was found during the road-construction in Pohang. It has approximately two hundreds of letters inscribed on the surface of one side, and it is estimated to be older than Shilla Stone Monument in Naengsuri which had been known for the oldest stele in Shilla Period. This monument is made of fine to medium-grained biotite granite, while the Shilla Stone Monument in Naengsuri is made of fine-grained granodioritic porphyry bearing feldspar and amphibole phenocrysts. Both rock types of the monuments are interpreted to be cognate with biotite granite in Shinkwangmyeon, and with granodioritic porphyry in Gigyemyeon. They are characterized by xenolith and miarolitic cavity. Damage aspects in both monuments are discoloring, cracking and breaking. These damages do not cause structural instability of the monuments, but attenuate aesthetic value. Black and brown discoloring contaminants on the surface of the Jungseongri Monument contain a high amount of manganese and iron. As a result of ultrasonic test, both monuments were evaluated to be medium-weathered (MW), although the velocity of the Shilla Monument in Jungseongri was slightly lower than the Shilla Monument in Naengsuri. This is because the Monument in Juengseongri had been exposed to outdoor environment for long time until the discovery. It is necessary for Shilla Monuments to be protected by appropriately environmental control and management.