• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.142-157
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• 2016

In 2008, the oldest wooden tablets, in the Baekje area, were uncovered from the Bogam-ri site in Naju. This paper defines wooden tablets to as objects with inking inscriptions. Of 65 wooden tablets contained in the excavation report of this site, this paper examines the meanings of 13 tablets with inscriptions written in ink by comparing them with other tablets found in the Baekje area. All tablets were unearthed from Pit Feature No. 1, a large-scale feature, at this site. Vertical stratigraphy of the feature is divided into 43 layers; but it seems that it does not reflect the chronological order, since unearthed artefacts, including wooden tablets, pottery, and roof tiles, turned out to be produced at the same age. Wooden tablets were not found in other features, and intentionally buried in this feature. Typological characteristics of wooden tablets indicate that the pit was the secondary refuse place. The inscription of the wooden tablets labeled 'gyeongonyeon(庚午年)' and the radiocarbon dates of them indicate that these tablets were created in the early 7th century AD, centered in 610 AD. On the basis of contents and typological characteristics, these are classified into six documents, six tags, and one tablet for other purpose. Total 89 pieces of wooden tablets have been unearthed in the Baekje area. Except tablets found in Naju and Geumsan, all have been collected in palaces, royal gardens, and temples inside and outside of the Sabi Capital. The significant wooden tablets of Baekje, which can be compared with tablets from Bogam-ri, were unearthed at from the Gwanbuk-ri site, the Gungnamji site, and the Ssangbuk-ri 280-5 site. Comparative studies on wooden tablets have revealed that the place name during the Wungjin Commandery Period, the status marking method standardized in the order of place name, official rank and person's name, the fact that Baekje operated the system of prefecture(郡), and Bogam-ri was one of the places where prefecture was established, and the evidence of family register system. Wooden tablets at Bogam-ri record the documented date (610 AD), the documented place (Duhilseong where the prefecture established), and the writers (advisors and staffs of the prefecture). The recorded contents of them are invaluable data showing the local administrative system of Baekje, such as the status marking method, the means of description, the family-register system, and the land surveying system.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.158-169
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• 2015

Tean Mado Shipwreck No. 3 is presumed to have been shipwrecked between 1260 and 1268. It departed from a Southern costal area of Yeosu in Jeonnam Province to Ganghwa Island, its final destination at which the temporal regime of Koryo Dynasty was located. In the shipwreck, a total of 35 wooden tablets were found, and forwarding places, senders, receivers, descriptions, and quantities of freight were written on the wooden tablets. The names of receivers included Kim Jun, who was influential in the late Musin Era of the Koryo Dynasty, and key institutions such as Junmin and Sambyulcho of the Musin force. Twenty wooden tables had lists of food items such as barley, abalone, salted-fermented abalone, mussel, dried mussel, salted fermented mussel, dried shark meat, fish oil, pheasant, and dried dog meat. The food items in the late 13th century were systematically examined using scientifically determined food organic remains and records of wooden tablets among the marine relics of Mado Shipwreck No. 3.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.499-510
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• 2014

This study examined the food culture of the Koryo Dynasty during the early 13th century based on the records of wooden tablets and marine relics from the 1st and 2nd ships of Mado wrecked at sea off Taean while sailing for Gaegyeong containing various types of grain paid as taxes and tributes. The recipients of the cargo on the 1st ship of Mado were bureaucrats living in Gaegyeong during the period of the military regime of the Koryo Dynasty, and the place of embarkation was the inlet around Haenam (Juksan Prefecture) and Naju (Hoijin Prefecture) in Jolla-do. On wooden tablets were recorded 37 items of rice, cereal, and fermented foods. The measures used in the records were seok [石-20 du (斗)] for cereal, seok [15 du, 20 du] for fermented soybean paste, and pot (缸) and volume (斗) for salted fish. The places of embarkation on the 2nd ship of Mado were Jeongeup (Gobu Prefecture), Gochang (Jangsa Prefecture, Musong Prefecture), etc. On wooden tablets were recorded 29 items of rice, cereal, fermented foods, seasame oil, and honey. The volume measure for yeast guk (麴), the fermentative organism for rice wine, was nang [囊-geun (斤)], and the measure for sesame oil and honey, which were materials of oil-and-honey pastries and confections, was joon (樽-seong, 盛). Honey and sesame oil were luxury foods for the upper-class people of the Koryo Dynasty, and they were carried in high-quality inlaid celadon vases in Meibyung style. Food names and measures written on wooden tablets and actual artifacts found in the 1st and 2nd ships of Mado are valuable materials for research into agriculture, cereal, and fermented foods of the Koryo Dynasty in the early 13th century. Besides, relics such as grains and bones of fish and animals from the Koryo Dynasty are expected to provide crucial information usable in studies on food history of the Korean Peninsula.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.670-680
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• 2019

This study attempts to identify whether there were preferred wood species or any required properties depending on the use of wooden objects by comparing wood species analysis results of wooden objects, which are classified specifically by their uses like comb, wooden tablets, containers, etc., excavated from Haman Seongsansansung mountain fortress, which is the archaeological site of the Three Kingdoms era and those excavated from archaeological sites in Gyeongsang province considered to be the similar era of Haman Seongsansansung mountain fortress site. Wooden tablets and combs show the preferred species clearly and containers preferred wood species with the mid-ranged strength and the resistance against moisture migration.

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2014

The objective of this study was to date a Buddhist wooden Tablet (No. 271) at Songkwangsa Temple, Suncheon, Korea, using wiggle matching of radiocarbon dates. For wiggle matching, three samples (2nd, 16th and 34~35th rings from inner side) in the pedestal of the Tablet were selected among total of 37 tree rings. Wiggle matching the radiocarbon dates of three samples resulted in A.D. 1660~1679 (95.4% confidence interval) for the outermost ring. This interval suggested the age of this tablet as the late 17th century, which was almost at the same age as other early Buddhist tablets in Korea.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.315-325
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• 2020

The Daetongsa temple is the earliest temple to be constructed during the era of the Three Kingdoms in ancient Korea. The main architect, purpose, and name of the temple have been confirmed through ancient literature and archeological materials carved in the Chinese letter, Daetong, excavated around Gongju. However, the location and range of the temple have remained elusive and were discussed in various studies. In this study, we examine the roof tiles obtained from the presumed site of the Daetongsa temple. The tiles were found to contain traces of red paint (red pigments) on their surface and analyzed using nondestructive techniques. The results imply that roof tiles were made using clay tablets and wooden cylinders, with latticed cloth in between. Additionally, some wooden cylinders appeared to comprise numerous wooden plates tied together by strings. The clay tablets used to make the roof tiles were produced from the source clay via the sorting process. The traces of red paint on the surface of the roof tiles were verified to be traditional pigments used for painting wooden buildings. These pigments were extracted from red ocher or red clay (Seokganju), mainly consisting of iron oxide. In the literature, the location of provenance sites for Seokganju is estimated to be far from Gongju. However, the materials for extracting the red pigments were relatively easy to source because most rocks comprised iron oxides. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the provenance of the red pigments around the presumed site of Daetongsa.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.60-77
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• 2021

From 2007 to 2011, four Goryeo Dynasty vessels, namely the Taean treasure ship, Taean Mado Shipwreck No.1, No.2, No.3 were discovered in Taean area, Chungcheongnam-do province. From the shipwrecks, 175 pieces of mokkan (wooden tablet) were excavated. These mokkans are the only case of Goryeo Dynasty and represent the unique usage of mokkan as cargo tags, after the paper replaced the wooden tablets as writing materials. The Taean mokkans provide details, such as the year, recipient, port of origin, types of the cargo, quantity and unit, the name of the responsible person for shipment. Thus, they enable us to speculate about the characteristics of the cargo. Furthermore, through studying the writing style, form, material and manufacturing method, researchers can extract which form and characteristics were favored at that time. The Taean mokkans have no preset style for writing. Therefore, they can be written selectively and freely. And since the mokkan were attached to cargos, mokkans with furrows on upper side were favored, and efficiency and simplification of the manufacturing process were priorities in making mokkans. The Taean mokkans can be compared to those from the Shinan ship and the Quanzhou ship because those are of the same era and use. On the writing styles and information, Chinese mokkans are focused on the cargo owners, while The Taean mokkan includes more detailed information, such as the recipients. In forms, Chinese mokkans have maximum thickness of 1.0 centimeter and have pointed edges in lower parts, while mokkans from Taean do not have fixed thickness or edges. Furthermore, Chinese mokkans and Korean mokkans have different styles from manufacturing methods and material selections. These differences between Chinese and Goryeo mokkan are related to the differences between littoral-transport Goryeo ships and ocean-transport Chinese ships, such as shipping distances, types of cargo, shipping systems, packing methods, and transport operators. At the moment, because there are only small amount of data and materials of Chinese mokkan, comparative studies regarding Goryeo and Chinese mokkan can only be fragmentary. However, this article can be a base from which to expand the scope of Goryeo mokkan studies.

• MISULJARYO - National Museum of Korea Art Journal
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• v.104
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• pp.70-100
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• 2023

The celadon made in the Goryeo era, a time when Buddhism was flourishing in Korea, naturally contains many elements of Buddhist culture. Among them, inlaid celadon with Sanskrit inscriptions bears a close relationship with esoteric Buddhism. However, the research on deciphering the Sanskrit inscriptions has made little progress due to the small number of extant examples. However, the four recent excavations at the No. 23 kiln site in Sadang-ri, Gangjin have yielded new materials that allow the existing materials to be categorized into several types. The results obtained through the reading and interpretation of the inscriptions are as follows: First, the Sanskrit characters inlaid on the celadon were parts of mantras. Inscriptions where only one character is apparent cannot be deciphered, but scholars have revealed that others are written in the manner of a wheel mantra represent the "Mantra for Purifying the Dharma-Realm," "Six-Syllable Mantra of the Vidyaraja," "Sweet Dew Mantra," "Jewel Pavilion Mantra," "Mantra of the Savior Bodhisattva," "Dharani of the Mind of the Budha of Infinite Life," and "Mantra for Extinguishing Evil Rebirth." Each mantra was written in Siddham script. Second, they are believed to have been produced during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries based on the arrangement of the inscriptions and the way the "Sweet Dew Mantra" is included in the "40 Hands Mantra." In particular, the celadon pieces with a mantra inlaid in a concentric manner are dated to the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries based on their production characteristics. Third, the interpretation of the inlaid mantras suggests that they all refer to the "Shattering Hell" and "Rebirth in the Pure Land." Based on this, it can be concluded that some of these inlaid celadon wares with mantras may have been used in Buddhist rituals for the dead, such as the ritual for feeding hungry ghosts (施餓鬼會). Also, because the Sadang-ri No. 23 kiln site and the "ga" area of the site are believed to have produced royal celadon, it is likely that these rituals were performed at the royal court or a temple under its influence. Fourth, this inlaid Goryeo celadon with Sanskrit mantras was not a direct influence of the ceramics of Yuan China. It emerged by adopting Yuan Chinese Buddhist culture, which was influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, into Goryeo Korea's existing esoteric practices. Fifth, the celadon wares inlaid with a Sanskrit mantra reveal a facet of the personal esoteric rituals that prevailed in late Goryeo society. Changes in esotericism triggered by the desire for relief from anxieties can be exemplified in epitaph tablets and coffins that express a shared desire for escaping hell and being born again in paradise. Sixth, the inlaid celadon with Sanskrit mantras shares some common features with other crafts. The similarities include the use of Siddham Sanskrit, the focus on Six-Syllable Mantra of the Vidyaraja, the correspondence with the contents of the mantras found on Buddhist bells, wooden coffins, and memorial tablets, and their arraignment in a similar manner with rooftiles. The major difference between them is that the Mantra for Extinguishing Evil Rebirth and the Sweet Dew Manta have not yet been found on other craftworks. I believe that the inscriptions of Sanskrit mantras are found mainly on inlaid celadon vessels due to their relatively low production cost and efficiency.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.22-32
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• 2011

This study explored the architectural nature, the thought reflected in the place and the 'meaning-landscape' characteristic of a place, to where a retired scholar had lived. The object of the study is the Maechun-Byulup Toesu-jeong wonlim, which consists of a summer house and a garden forest. The results of the study are as following. Toesu-jeong wonlim is located at Daejeong-ri, Sannae-myeon, Namwon-si. It had been built by Maechun Park Chi-Gi in 1870 for his residence after retirement. It is a villa type pavilion and a garden forest which have Banseondaegi(伴仙臺記), Banseondae-10-yeong, Toesu-jeong(退修亭) Sangryangmun, a writing dedicated when putting up the ridge beam of a wooden house), Toesu-jeong Wonwun Byeongsoseo, hanging boards and tablets with poems written on them. In the Toesu-jeong wonlim, there are various 'meaning-landscapes' such as the Maechun-Byulup, Banseondae, Yabakdam and Simjinam together with engraved calligraphy related to the landscaping culture. It is also possible to find the remains of beautiful engraving on the stones and woods at Goksoo Yoogeo(曲水流渠) that suggest the banquets they had while discussing the elegant tastes and appreciating the landscape. The Toesu-jeong wonlim consists of the Toesu-jeong area(a pavilion), the Gwanseon-jae area(a shrine) area and the Gyejeong area(a garden with a brook) area. The pedantic 'meaning-landscape' elements, as the residence of retired scholar who spent his remaining life with elegant tastes, and the expertise of Maechun Park Chi-Gi, as a landscaping architect who built a villa and a garden forest in the motif of a Taoist hermit, can be extracted through the Banseondae-10yeong. The Banseondae-10yeong is the first Toesu-jeong poem and consisting of the Samseon-dae, Sejin-dae, Samcheong-dam, Yabak-dam, Samseo, Takgeum-dam, flat stones, caves, stone sculptures and harvest. The existing vegetation and plants in the Toesu-jeong wonlim are; natural pine forest in the rear garden, zelkova trees, wild cherry trees, apricot trees and pine trees bent to the waterfront direction. Except some ornament-species and shielding-species such as the poplars, most of current trees and vegetation keep the shape of the original Toesu-jeong wonlim landscape.