Earticle

In this study, an accelerated aging experiment for fabric and paper was conducted using two light emitting diode(LED) sources with different wavelength characteristics, and the discoloration under each lighting type was examined. Hanji(Korean traditional paper) and related textiles showed more discoloration under blue LEDs, while the blue wool standard showed more discoloration under white LEDs. This, indicated that the deterioration varied depending on the sample color. The the effect of the light source on artifact deterioration was primarily related to the total radiation flux(expressed in mill watts), rather than the total luminous flux(expressed in lumens). In addition, the discoloration of the investigated artifacts was dependent on the color rendering of the lighting.

This study investigates prehistoric human subsistence and pottery use on the Korean peninsula through the organic residue analysis of archaeological potsherds. Ancient human subsistence is one of the core topics in Korean archaeology. However, due to the high acidity of sediments, which prevents the long-term preservation of organic remains, archaeologists have been short of critical information on how these early prehistoric dwellers lived. Ceramic vessels can contain well-preserved lipids originating from past culinary practices. For a better understanding of human subsistence on the prehistoric Korean peninsula, food-processing behaviors were reconstructed by analyzing ancient lipids extracted from a pottery matrix. The potsherd samples used in the analysis in this paper were collected from major prehistoric habitation sites. The results show that subsistence strategies differed according to both location and time period and reveal how organic residue analysis can contribute to a better understanding of prehistoric human subsistence strategies.

Paulownia coreana has various advantages as a convenient workability, aesthetic outlook, beautiful patterns, low weight and high strength, and its permeability. P. coreana has been widely used for storage but there are no empirical researches proving its functionality in a field of conservation science until now. In this study, the seasonal and daily temperature and relative humidity control, and microbe and insect repellent activity were evaluated under the controlled and uncontrolled circumstances from 2015 to 2016. The results showed to be mainly excellent in relative humidity control and the buffering effect was good to adjust the average daily relative humidity range from the outside. With respect to the antimicrobial properties of P. coreana, we observed that its water-soluble extract produced visible zones of inhibition against five bacteria. However, it was difficult to predict the antimicrobial and/or insecticidal properties.

The Choijin Lama Temple is a representative example of 19th- to 20th-century architecture. The temple has been damaged by various development pressures and the effect of a harsh continental climate. This study digitalized the entire temple site using three-dimensional scanning to establish the basic data of conservational management and monitoring for spatial changes. A terrestrial laser scanning model of the temple was completed, which showed low registering error vectors (3.73 mm average) and dense point distances. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry was also applied to verify its applicability to the spatial and environmental monitoring of the temple. The results showed that the overall point density of the UAV photogrammetry model is similar within a 10 mm resolution. The relatively low RMSE of UAV photogrammetry from the ground to the uppermost roof indicates the high applicability of integrating it with the terrestrial laser scanning model. The digital documentation of the Choijin Lama Temple is expected to have a great ripple effect on the documentation, conservation, and utilization of Mongolian cultural heritage sites.

Iron oxides are the essential coloring oxides in traditional ceramic glazes. However, when Fe is involved in the coloration in the form of ions or colloids in glazes with low Fe content, it is difficult to identify the iron oxide phases. Generally, in many these glazes, Ca-rich minerals are observed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) or microscopic images, owing to their devitrification by the high Ca content. This study attempts to elucidate the correlation between the crystalline structure and coloration in the glazes while mainly focusing on neoformed Ca-rich minerals and Fe content. An experimental firing was carried out to produce tree ash glazes, with pine tree ash and Buyeo feldspar. In the case of oxidation glazes, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and XRD patterns did not exhibit any Ca-rich crystals, and all the visible light reflectance spectra lines exhibited a similar shape. In contrast, the reduction glazes divided into blue glazes and other colored glazes according to the shapes of their reflectance spectra. It was confirmed that the influence of Ca-rich minerals on the glaze color was more pronounced than the blue color of the reduction glazes when the Ca and feldspar contents were sufficiently high and low, respectively, to form wollastonite. As the Ca content increased and the elemental composition of the reduction glazes changed, the neoformation of the Ca-rich minerals, such as wollastonite, anorthite, diopside, and akermanite was sequentially observed.

This study focuses on reinforcement agents for wall damage, such as cracks, breakage, or delamination, for mural paintings from the Payathonzu temple. Experiments were conducted with filling and grouting agents based on the reinforcing method. In the filling reinforcement experiment, different mixing ratios of lime to sand, and additives (jaggery, seaweed glue, and Primal SF-016) were used. In the grouting reinforcement experiment, the mixing ratio of lime and pozzolan was the same, and the additive types were identical to the filling reinforcement experiment. The filling reinforcement experiment showed that there were fewer physical changes such as contraction, with a greater mixing ratio of lime to sand, however, the compressive strength decreased as the mixing ratio increased. With additives, the change in volume of agent decreased and the compressive strength increased, which was especially prominent for jaggery and Primal SF-016. The grouting reinforcement experiment showed that there was a remarkable contraction with an increased amount of moisture that originates from the characteristic of grouting agents that requires flowability. With additives, the water content of the agent decreased, whereas the compressive strength and adhesion increased. Among the additives, Primal SF-016 exhibited the highest compressive strength, and seaweed glue exhibited the most considerable viscosity and adhesion. The study results showed that the characteristics of reinforcement agents vary according to the mixing ratio and additives of the filling and grouting agents. Therefore, it is necessary to selectively apply the mixing ratio and additives for different reinforcement agents considering the wall damage for conservation treatments.

Konbaung Dynasty was the last unified dynasty that ruled Myanmar from 18th to 19th century. During this time Buddhist art flourished in Myanmar due to the interest of the rulers toward their traditional culture. Metal decorative artifacts in the 18th century are classified into structures and Buddha statues. They are further subdivided into gilt-bronze and bronze objects, depending on their material component. Three-dimensional gilt-bronze decorative artifacts were cast with a brass alloy of Cu-Zn-Sn-Pb and their surfaces were gilded with extremely thin gold leaves (less than 1 μm in thickness). The gilded layer approximately comprised 10 wt% silver in addition to the main element, gold. The lack of Hg in the gilded layer, indicated that the amalgam gilding technique was not applied. The analysis results indicated that the lacquered gilding technique was applied to the objects. Bronze decorative artifacts without gilding were cast with materials containing Cu-Sn-Pb. The bronze pavilions and bronze Buddha staues were crafted using the same alloy of high-tin bronze, which approximately contained 20 wt% Sn. No heat treatment was applied to reduce the brittleness of the objects after they were cast with a large amount of Sn. The most significant difference between the gilt-bronze and bronze decorative artifacts lie in their elemental compositions. The gilt-bronze decorative artifacts with their gilded surface were manufactured using brass containing zinc, while the unplated bronze decorative artifacts were composed of bronze containing tin. Artifacts of the same type and size are classified differently depending on the materials utilized in the surface treatment such as gilding.