• Title/Summary/Keyword: archaeological chronology

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Archaeomagnetic Dating of a Layer of Baked Earth on Daegu Buinsa Site (대구 부인사 유적 소토층의 고고지자기 연대)

  • Sung, Hyong Mi
    • Journal of Conservation Science
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    • v.28 no.3
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    • pp.185-192
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    • 2012
  • Issues of chronology on archaeological remains or relics have been a storm-center of controversy when various archaeological researches have been done. Sometimes there is a limit for figuring out issues of chronology by archaeological research. In that case, the field of natural science is often needed to work out issues of chronology. Among various subjects in natural science, archaeomagnetism plays an important role in dating archaeological remains for baked earth bearing relics. In particular, archaeomagnetism is of use for sites where directly excavated dating proxy is unavailable. Terrestrial magnetism changes along with the passage of time and leaves trace by many kinds of residual magnetization which could be called fossil of terrestrial magnetism. Archaeomagnetic dating method is used to assign a date to the archaeological remains in which baked earth is found by measuring the changes of terrestrial magnetism through the thermal remanent magnetization retained in baked earth. This study aims to constrain the age of fire at Buinsa, Daege, Korea using 27 samples that were collected from a layer of baked earth. Buinsa is famous for the place where kept the first edition of Tripitaka Koreana, which was lost in fire at the second invasion of mongolia. In addition, there is a record that there was revolt around this region in A.D.1203. According to archaeomagnetic dating, ages of A.D.1150~1200 and A.D.1130~1210 were assigned for the two building sites in Buinsa, respectively. To this end, it can be concluded that the layer of baked earth on the two building sites in Buinsa recorded the vestige of fire caused by revolt.

The Development of Earthenware Kilns in Bongsan-ri Archaeological Site, Osong: Implications for Pre- and Post-1950 AD Absolute Age Determination (AD 1950년 전후 고고유적의 절대연대측정에 대한 고찰: 오송 봉산리 옹기가마 유적을 중심으로)

  • Kim, Myung Jin;Son, Myoung Soo;Kim, Tae Hong;Sung, Ki Seok
    • Journal of Conservation Science
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    • v.34 no.6
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    • pp.481-492
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    • 2018
  • We conducted TL/OSL dating for the earthenware kilns in the Bongsan-ri archaeological site, Osong, which was occupied from the late nineteenth to the late twentieth century. With the SAR-TL/OSL method, paleodose was determined from the equivalent dose during the burial period($ED_{burial}$), the background dose($ED_{BG}$), the fading correction factor(f), and the overestimation correction factor(C). The annual dose rates and their provenance were evaluated from the measurement of natural radionuclides $^{238}U$, $^{232}Th$, and $^{40}K$. Because the comprehensive absolute age was provided by combining the resulting TL/OSL and radiocarbon data, we concluded that, for the absolute chronology of a modern archaeological site, TL/OSL dating and radiocarbon dating must be carried out together and summed. The construction and occupation of earthenware kilns in the Bongsan-ri site had changed from stage I (No.5, 6 kilns), to stage II (No.1, 2, 3 kilns), to stage III (No.4) in chronological order. When Bayesian statistics were applied, we found that the absolute ages of occupation for stages I, II, and III correspond to AD $1910{\pm}23$, AD $1970{\pm}10$, and AD $1987{\pm}4$. These results were in good agreement with the archaeological context or chronology.

Yangshao Culture and Rice Culture - In Relations to Dissemination of Rice Culture Towards to the North - East of China - (중국 앙소시대 문화와 도작농업 -재배도의 동북방향 전파노선과 관계하여-)

  • Chang, Juzhong;Wang, Xiangkun;Cui, Zong Jun;Heu, Mun Hue
    • KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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    • v.41 no.3
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    • pp.376-383
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    • 1996
  • Distribution of archaeological sites where the rice and Itallian millets were excavated was discussed in relation to the rice culture of Yangshao era. According to the distribution of the sites where the rice and Italian millet remains were excavated, the putative border of rice growing area, Italian millet growing area and mixed-cropping area were drawn. Discussions were made about the drifting of the area of mixed-cropping, north and south, depending on the climates of archaeological eras, The climates of the eras were discussed with the various remains of animals and plants excavated from each era's sites. Examining the chronology of mixed-cropping area the extension of rice culture were traced chronologically. And the extension of rice culture towards north-east during the last period of Yangshao era, and the feasibilities of transfer to the Han-river mouth area in Korea, 5,000 aBP(about Before Present), were discussed.

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The Chronology of Petroglyphs of Cheonjeon-ri, Ulju and Their Nature (울주 천전리 암각화의 편년과 성격)

  • KIM, Gwongu
    • Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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    • v.54 no.2
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    • pp.98-119
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    • 2021
  • This thesis aims to examine when the petroglyphs of Cheonjeon-ri, Ulju were carved and their nature. To achieve this, the relations between rituals and rock carving motifs are examined besides the nature of the archaeological monuments with carved petroglyphs. The investigation revealed that the figurative motifs on the petroglyphs of Cheonjeon-ri, Ulju, may have been carved during the Korean Bronze Age considering other examples of figurative petroglyphs from that period. It is reasonable to assume that the figurative animal motifs on the petroglyphs of Cheonjeon-ri, Ulju were used for rituals of fertility and rebirth as a subsistence ritual during the Korean Bronze Age. The Geomdan-ri Archaeological Culture Type is a strong candidate, having used both petroglyphs of Cheonjeon-ri and those of Bangudae, Ulju, since the Geomdan-ri Archaeological Culture Type has a higher proportion of hunting and fishing and lower proportion of rice cultivation in its subsistence than in the subsistence of the Songguk-ri Archaeological Culture Type. In contrast to the figurative motifs, the abstractive motifs, including the geometric designs on the petroglyphs of Cheonjeon-ri, Ulju, are generally accepted to have been carved during the Bronze Age. Although there have been some disputes over the symbolic meanings of concentric motifs, lozenge motifs, and other geometric motifs, they may be related to rituals for sun worship, ancestor worship, and fertility cults. Their meanings have been continuously reinterpreted.

Bayesian Analysis for Uncertainty of Radiocarbon Dating (방사성탄소연대측정법의 불확실성에 대한 베이지안 분석)

  • Lee, Youngseon;Lee, Jaeyong;Kim, Jangsuk
    • The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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    • v.28 no.3
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    • pp.371-383
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    • 2015
  • Use of radiocarbon dating is increasing for chronology; however, its variability and discrepancy with existing chronologies can cause doubts in regards to credibility. In this paper, we explore factors that influence radiocarbon dating variabilities. We obtained estimated radiocarbon ages by sending identical samples to several labs multiple times. A Bayesian method was used to analyze the obtained data. From the analysis, we conclude that some factors (such as type of labs and megasamples) can induce variability when estimating radiocarbon age. We identify the size of variability caused by each factor and analyze the estimated variability in each lab corresponds with the reported variability.

Event date model: a robust Bayesian tool for chronology building

  • Philippe, Lanos;Anne, Philippe
    • Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
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    • v.25 no.2
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    • pp.131-157
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    • 2018
  • We propose a robust event date model to estimate the date of a target event by a combination of individual dates obtained from archaeological artifacts assumed to be contemporaneous. These dates are affected by errors of different types: laboratory and calibration curve errors, irreducible errors related to contaminations, and taphonomic disturbances, hence the possible presence of outliers. Modeling based on a hierarchical Bayesian statistical approach provides a simple way to automatically penalize outlying data without having to remove them from the dataset. Prior information on individual irreducible errors is introduced using a uniform shrinkage density with minimal assumptions about Bayesian parameters. We show that the event date model is more robust than models implemented in BCal or OxCal, although it generally yields less precise credibility intervals. The model is extended in the case of stratigraphic sequences that involve several events with temporal order constraints (relative dating), or with duration, hiatus constraints. Calculations are based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) numerical techniques and can be performed using ChronoModel software which is freeware, open source and cross-platform. Features of the software are presented in Vibet et al. (ChronoModel v1.5 user's manual, 2016). We finally compare our prior on event dates implemented in the ChronoModel with the prior in BCal and OxCal which involves supplementary parameters defined as boundaries to phases or sequences.

Research on Cultural Heritage and Its Conservation in the Process of Unification in Germany - Focusing on Archaeological Investigations and Site Conservation - (독일 통일과정에서 문화유산 조사와 보존관리 - 고고학 조사와 유적 보존을 중심으로 -)

  • Kim, Jongil
    • Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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    • v.52 no.2
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    • pp.38-61
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    • 2019
  • Up until the early twentieth century in Germany, there were two research trends: 1) emphasizing objectives and making detailed observations of archaeological artifacts and sites, 2) tracing the remains of specific nations or ethnic groups and defining their temporal-spatial boundaries by conducting research on material culture in terms of nationalism or ethnocentrism. After the Second World War ended and Germany was divided, West German archaeology focused on observations of artifacts and sites, cataloging them, and doing research on chronology and distribution following their own traditional methodologies. East German archaeology attempted to prove the developing process of history and its Marxist principles based upon material culture and to examine the historic value of inherent specific cultural heritage based on criteria regarding how it corresponded to socialism and contributed to the development of socialism. Nevertheless, East and West German archaeology shared traditional archaeological methods inherited from German archaeology since the nineteenth century, and contact between archaeologists in West and East Germany continued to a degree. Furthermore, East German archaeology produced significant archaeological achievements acknowledged by West German and European archaeologists. These facts provided the momentum to complete rapid incorporation of the archaeologies of West and East Germany in spite of a one-sided process imposed by West German archaeology. In the case of Korea, it seems necessary to make an effort to share common research history and traditions and to encourage mutual academic exchange (e.g. joint excavation and archaeological research). Furthermore, it is also imperative to have open-minded attitudes toward accepting substantial results and interpretations achieved by North Korean archaeologists under scrutiny when and where necessary, despite seeming to have been fossilized by Marxism and Juche ideology. Any efforts to narrow the gap in archaeological research and conservation of cultural heritage between the archaeologies of South and North Korea should be made immediately. The case of Germany demonstrates how such a project could proceed efficaciously.

Reevaluation of the Songguk-ri site (송국리유적 재고)

  • Son, Jun-Ho
    • KOMUNHWA
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    • no.70
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    • pp.35-62
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    • 2007
  • Songguk-ri site gained academic recognition by the excavation of stone coffin tomb with a bronze dagger in 1974. And it is confirmed that this site is epoch-making in Korean bronze age through the following excavation started in 1975. But the excavation reports published until now do not have even overall view of this site, thus it is difficult to get the whole picture of this site. Thus, in this paper the author reexamined all reports on this site and by making the map of overall view and distribution of archaeological features as a basic research. Moreover, I analyzed also artifacts from this site, and compared with the recent papers written by other researchers about the chronology and character. Songguk-ri site has livelihood domain which consists of dwelling pits, attached features, storage pits, pot-firing features, wood fence, abatises, buildings above ground, as well as cemetery which consists of stone-coffins, jar-coffins, pit tombs. Trace of making large terrace was also excavated. These features seem to belong to the same archaeological stage, dated about B.C.850-550, according to C14 dating. On the other hand, the intensification of wet-rice cultivation made this group more productive. Based on this financial strength, some influential group emerged they constructed defensive settlement to protect their products safely. Besides it seems that there were frequent occurrence of conflicts. However, we can know that they kept their stable life, through the expansion of living space. Consequently, Songguk-ri site played a role of the summit among some settlement in this area.

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Study on the Casting Method and Manufacturing Process of Bronze Bells Excavated from the Hoeamsa Temple Site (회암사지 금탁(琴鐸)의 주조방법과 가공기술 연구)

  • Lee, Jae Sung;Baek, Ji Hye;Jeon, Ik Hwan;Park, Jang Sik
    • Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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    • v.43 no.3
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    • pp.102-121
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    • 2010
  • Three bronze bells excavated from the Hoeamsa temple site were investigated for their microstructures and chemical compositions in an effort to understand the technology applied in fabrication, which may represent the related industry established in the early Joseon period. The result shows that the bells were cast from alloys of approximately 85% copper-8% tin-7% lead. The chemical analysis for ten trace elements shows that they were all kept below 0.3 weight %, suggesting that the alloys were made of relatively well-refined copper, tin and lead. The presence of sulfur and iron indicates that chalcopyrite or chalcocite may have been used in the smelting of copper. Evidence has been found that the bells were cast by pouring the liquid metal from the top of the sand molds that were set up in an upright position. No additional treatments, thermal or mechanical, other than a little grinding were applied upon the completion of casting. After the shaping process, a balancing plate was attached to the top of the bell using a steel connection ring. The connection assembly was then fixed to the main body by using molten bronze as a solder. The surface inscription was found carved using different techniques. The differences in the order of strokes and the calligraphic style indicate that the carving was carried out by more than one master. In the absence of documentary evidence on past bronze technology, the present bronze bells with known chronology, provenance and the main agent of production, prove to be a rare and valuable archaeological material for the understanding of the related technology in use in the early Joseon period.