Recently, research has been carried out concerning the overhaul and restoration of various ancient temple sites Recently, research has been carried out concerning the overhaul and restoration of various Excavation surveys have been proactively carried out in the ancient capitals of the three kingdoms (i.e. Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla) to provide support for such research. Similar efforts are have been made in China and Japan.

Well-preserved Sarira caskets and meal bowls unearthed from the cornerstones of the wooden pagoda site of the Wangheungsa Temple (677) site and the western stone pagoda (639) of the Mireuksa Temple site have become objects of considerable attention. The inscriptions on them provide a clue as to who played a leading role in the construction of the temples and the background to their construction. We have carried out an excavation survey and research concerning temple-related historic sites, i.e., the sites of Mireuksa Temple, a temple in Yongjeong-ri,
Wangheungsa Temple, Jeongnimsa Temple, a temple in Gunsu-ri, etc. dating back to the Sabi Baekje Period. We have established a plan for this project with a view to compiling materials on the ancient temples/sites surveyed so far in this country, and to carrying out a comparative study of those in China and Japan, in order to use them as basic materials for future excavation surveys and research.

In 2008, we established a plan for the publication of a report on temple sites with wooden pagodas, which had become the center of attention. Our plan was focused on sites formed in the 5th ~ 7th centuries in Korea, China, and Japan, with the relevant materials relatively well kept (16 places in Korea including Pyeongyang, Gyeongju, Buyeo, and Iksan; 40 places in Japan including Nara, Osaka, and Kyoto; and two places in China, namely, Luoyang and Linzhangxian).

The checking of temple sites with wooden pagodas was focused on the base, plane section, and cornerstone. Details of the relevant skills used to erect wooden pagodas, their outward appearance, and unearthed relics were also checked. We collected materials from sources both in and out of the country and took pictures during field trips. We summarized the results of the surveys carried out prior to the publication of the report and held a seminar in May 2009, inviting Chinese and Japanese researchers to attend. Finally, in 2009, we published the following report: Comparative Study of Ancient Temple Sites in Korea, China, and Japan (I) – with the focus on temple sites with wooden pagodas.

In 2010, we published the following report, Comparative Study of Ancient Temple Sites in East Asia (II) – with the focus on main halls, as a result of sifting and sorting the data on the main halls of temples excavated in Korea, China and Japan, with the focus on their base, stairs, cornerstones, and plane sections.

In 2011 and 2012, we published a Comparative Study of Ancient Temple Sites in East Asia III (with a focus on the sites of sermon halls, monks’ quarters, ancillary buildings, gates, and roofed corridors). It was the third study from the special research project series. This study is an arrangement of the results of the research that was previously carried out on the major elements of the temple instead of the wooden pagodas and the Main Hall. We also held events called “The Status of Research on Ancient Gardens and Temple Sites in East Asia (2011)” and “The International Symposium on Special Research on Culture of Baekje (2012)” in order to discuss the desirable directions for a special research project and to share the results of research conducted in Korea, China, and Japan on temples.

See A Related Image

View of the site of Hwangnyongsa Temple Site with wooden pagoda

Upper side of the cornerstone and four pillars, Hwangnyongsa Temple Site

View of the site of the east pagoda, Mang-deoksa Temple Site

Cornerstone of the site of the west pagoda, Mangdeoksa Temple Site

Standing Stone Maitreya Bodhisattva at a temple site in Gunsu-ri (Treasure)

Seated Agalmatolite Buddha at a temple site in Gunsu-ri (Treasure)

Temple site in Gunsu-ri

Jeseoksa Temple Site

Inscriptions on Bronze Sarira Casket

Wangheungsa Temple Site

The site of monks’ quarters at Jeongnimsa Temple

The site of monks’ quarters at Mireuksa Temple

Books

We intend to push ahead with research related to the restoration of Baekje’s capital by establishing a GIS for the sophisticated management and use of cultural heritage-related information and materials based on the continued computerization of data or materials excavated from Sabi Baekje’s capital.

The need has arisen for wider use of GIS in archaeological research and data management. As such, we intend to use the GIS-based map of historic sites in Sabi Baekje’s capital that we established in the period 2004~2007. There is also a need for systematic management of archaeological information through continued computerization of information on historic sites and relics in Sabi Baekje’s Capital so that members of the public, scholars, and research institutions can use the relevant information concerning spatial distribution and locational analysis.

Iksan by means of GIS-based information, with contour lines, roads, and buildings indicated, using the national standard digital map. We are continuing the work of computerizing new information on historic sites and relics related to Buyeo and Wanggungseong Fortress in Iksan, added after drawing up the map on Buyeo, as well as the work of making a database for three-dimensional locational information. We also intend to carry out multidisciplinary research for the restoration of the capital of the Baekje Dynasty through the collection and re-use of GIS-based analytical data of spaces in Buyeo and Wanggungseong Fortress in Iksan.

Our plan also includes updates of existing information on Buyeo and Wanggungseong Fortress in addition to the establishment of a GIS-based map of historic sites in Buyeo through the computerization of information on historic sites and relics in the capital of Ungjin Baekje. We will secure the budget required to establish a server that can improve the existing GIS-based map of the historic sites in Buyeo and provide a web-based service in cooperation with the relevant institutions in the hope of securing our position as the center of resreach relatwed to the Baekje capital.

Initial screen

Image of the locations of historic sites

Image of the attributes of historic relics

Image of the attributes of historic relics

A garden was found at the end of latitudinal stone embankment no.4 at the Wanggung-ri Site. During the survey of the garden that we conducted in the period 2004-2007, we identified the size and structure of the central part of the garden, a water inlet/outlet, a long exquisite stone structure made for supplying water to the garden, a “ㄱ”-shaped drainage facility (attached to the southeastern corner of the stone structure) for regulating the amount of water flowing into the garden, and a stone structure designed to control water flowing out of the garden through the water inlet. The study revealed a nature-friendly garden displaying exquisite landscaping skills, the first discovery of its kind among structures built during the Three Kingdoms Period.

In a survey of the slope to in the northern section of the garden carried out since 2008, we have identified a curved water channel, a walkway, stone structure facilities, building sites, and so on in the rear garden. Along the gentle slope in the northern section of the garden, we found a water channel, built using diverse techniques, for supplying water to the palace buildings. The curved water channel, the like of which were prevalent during the Eastern Jin China Period and adopted for the Touin Garden in Heijo Palace, Japan, was confirmed to have been a central element in the rear garden of the Wanggungni site, thus opening up the possibility of comparative research on the formation of garden forests in East Asian countries.

To shed light on the nature of the garden at the Wanggung-ri Site, the need arose for comparative research on the garden and its counterparts in China and Japan. This will also help us to understand the structure and function of palace gardens formed during the Baekje Period. The information thus accumulated will serve as basic materials for overhauling and restoring the gardens of historic sites, including the Wanggung-ri Site.

We designated the following as relevant historic sites to be surveyed:
1) In Korea: The sites of Anhakgung Palace, the pond in Daeseongsanseong Fortress, and the pond in Jeongneungsa Temple (dating back to Goguryeo); Wolji or Anapji Pond, the pond the Gyeongju National Museum, and the ponds in Yonggang-dong and Guhwang-dong (dating back to Silla).
2) In China: Sites dating back to Xia, Shang, and Zhou; sites dating back to Qin and Han; sites dating back to the Wei, Jin and North-South dynasties, the historic site of Taiyechi Pond, Daiming Palace, Changan Castle of Tang China; Yuanchi Pond, Shangyang Palace, Luoyang Castle (dating back to Sui/Tang).
3) In Japan: Historic sites in Uenomiya, Furumiya, Shimanosho, Ishigami, Kooriyama, dating back to the Asuka Period; sites dating back to the Nara Period.

We planned to carry out the survey for five years from 2010 to 2014. In 2010, we conducted a survey of the following places from October 3 to 7: the site of Hualinyuan Garden, Luoyang Palace of Northern Wei (A.D. 493~534) in Luoyang, Henan Province, China; and the historic site of Taiyechi Pond, Daiming Palace, Changan Castle of Tang China (A.D. 634~663) in Xian, Shanxi Province, China. There, we collected basic materials related to excavations, studies previously carried out, and the status of international exchanges and coopration.

Comparative Study of Ancient Gardens in East Asia

Future Survey Plan

Aerial view of the rear garden

View of the central section of the garden

Decorating stones unearthed from the garden

Current view of Kyushu Pond

View of Taeaekji Pond, China in the process of overhaul / restoration

Researchers conducting a survey of Yuanchi Pond, Sangyanggung Palace

Researchers conducting a survey of Hualinyuan Pond, China

View of a miniature model of Taiyechi Pond, China

View of Taiyechi Pond, China in the process of overhaul / restoration

Roof tiles, along with earthenware, are objects most frequently unearthed from historic sites. They are very important materials used to date buildings left in a historic site and guess the status of changes made in buildings. We have engaged in Research on Roof Tiles of the Sabi-Baekje Period with a view to making systematic analysis on ancient roof tiles since 2009.

In 2009, we came up with a guideline for the classification of types through a compilation of convex roof-end tiles that had been unearthed from Sabi-Baekje sites and by studying their attributes. In 2010, we conducted an in-depth analysis of convex roof-end tiles that had been unearthed from individual historic sites, including those in Gunsu-ri (2010), Wangheungsa Temple and a roof tile kiln to its east (2011), and Gwanbuk-ri and Jeongrimsa Temple (2012). The results of these findings are contained in the Research on Roof Tiles of the Sabi-Baekje Period I~Ⅳ.

We classified convex roof-end tiles, which were unearthed from individual historic sites, by type. We did so based on the result of naked-eye observations and measurement-based surveys. We also made an attempt to restore the production process through the analysis of traces left on relics, the status of supply and demand, and other relevant characteristics.

In 2012, we completed the analysis of convex roof-end tiles that had been unearthed from major Sabi-Baekje sites in Buyeo. Throughout this year (2013) we are carrying out a similar analysis of items that have been unearthed in Iksan.

We started this project to invigorate the research on Baekje temples by linking surface surveys and excavation surveys, and to provide the basic data required for the preservation and management of historic sites based on a comprehensive plan for overhauling the sites of demolished Baekje temples. We conducted a survey of the sites of demolished temples, with the focus on those in Gongju, Buyeo, and Iksan, the central districts of the Baekje Kingdom. Buyeo was the first target of our site survey.

In Buyeo, there are many temple sites ranging from the Baekje to the Joseon Period, although most of them (25 sites) date back to the Baekje Period. During the colonial period, attempts were made to excavate or overhaul them, but they caused damage to the sites. We at the Buyeo National Institute of Cultural Heritage carried out an overall check of the status of these temple sites in Buyeo in an effort to improve the situation. In 2008, we published a report based on the results of the preliminary survey of the sites of Baekje, along with suggestions on how to preserve and overhaul them, as well as highlighting the need for further excavations/surveys. The report contained the following information based on the results of the surveys of 25 temple sites of Baekje in Buyeo-eup, Eunsan-myeon, and Gyuam-myeon: their locations, construction dates, and current status; possible ways of preserving and overhauling them; and maps showing how to get to them.

Now, we are planning to extend the survey to sites located in Gongju and Iksan and to invigorate the research on Baekje temples for the preservation and management of historic sites, based on a comprehensive plan for overhauling the sites of demolished Baekje temples.

Status of distribution of demolished temple sites in Buyeo-gun

Research on archaeological fabrics found during excavations of historic sites encompasses the fabrics themselves, the patterns contained in them, goods made through spinning and weaving, and the tools used to produce them. The area includes the preservation treatment and scientific analysis of fabrics found at archaeological sites.

Fabrics are among the most difficult types of material to handle among all historic relics. In reality, few cases of ancient fabrics have been reported, and those found are usually small pieces, making demonstrative research difficult. Recognizing the importance of such fabrics, we launched a program of research on archaeological fabrics.

In 2006, we published a report entitled Archaeological Fabrics-I based on the preservation treatment and scientific analysis of unearthed sartorial relics donated by the Jeju Go Clan. In the following year, we checked more than 60 relics and fabrics, including those unearthed from the Wangheungsa Temple Site in Buyeo, the tomb of King Muryeong in Gongju, and ancient tombs in Bogam-ri, Naju and Bujang-ri, Seosan. In 2008, we published Archaeological Fabrics-II, the first such report published in Korea, as a comprehensive compilation of information on archaeological fabrics.

Magnified images of unearthed silk fabrics

Seven-fold silk fabrics/hemp cloth unearthed from Neungsan-ri, Buyeo

Fabrics unearthed from the Wangheun-gsa Temple site, Buyeo

Fabrics unearthed from the Wangheungsa Temple Site, Buyeo

Woven fabric analysis

Woven fabric analysis

In 2005 and 2006, we carried out a preliminary archaeo-chemical analysis of production-related relics unearthed from the Wanggung-ri site, Iksan in connection with the need for a systematic analysis of workshop-related relics identified in the northwestern section of the site and with the need for a joint study between archaeologists and natural scientists.

In the first survey, we carried out a non-destructive analysis of 285 items, including metal/glass goods unearthed from the Wanggungni site and the kilns used for their production. In the second survey, we carried out a lead isotopic analysis of 50 items, i.e. 32 pices of lead glass, and glass production kilns, plus 18 relics unearthed from the Mireuksa Temple Site.

The results of the two analyses are as follows:
First, we identified differences in the physical/chemical characteristics of the relics, depending on the kilns used. We also found differences in the ratio of silver to gold in the golden goods, depending on their types and shapes, which tells us that they intentionally adjusted the purity of gold alloys. We also found lumps of gold amalgam, which indicates that they used an amalgam when galvanizing gold, thereby obtaining an important material that can be used to check the connectivity with other relevant materials, such as the sarira casket found in the Wanggung-ri Five-tiered Stone Pagoda.
Second, we identified the techniques (such as casting and forging) used in the production of diverse golden goods through an archaeo-chemical analysis of completed goods like gold beads, links and other accessories or gold plates, nails and sticks, and techniques like relief. This work indicated that there was a large-scale workshop engaging in the production of precious items used at the palace in the Wanggung-ri Site and that they held advanced skills in the production of gold and bronze goods.
Third, we opened a new page in research on the characteristics of glass goods used in the Baekje Period and their production methods by finding out that lead glass and alkali glass were produced in Iksan. We became the first team of researchers to find out that methods of winding and drawing were used in glass production during the Baekje Period.
Fourth, by conducting a composition analysis and a lead isotopic analysis of lead glass-related materials unearthed from the Wanggung-ri and Mireuksa Temple sites, we discovered that there were three or four areas of distribution of lead glass, other than those in Korea, China, and Japan previously identified by researchers.
Fifth, we came up with a new research model during a study of ancient relics conducted jointly by archaeologists and natural scientists. It is also significant that we provided the momentum for confirming the existence of a workshop at the Wanggung-ri Site and defining the nature of the site through systematic research on relics.

We plan to create a database on the status of unearthed metal/glass goods dating from ancient times by drawing up the flow of, and changes in, techniques for producing metal/glass goods in Baekje on a mid- and long-term basis. We also plan to lay the basis for joint research on metal/glass goods dating from ancient times in East Asian countries, presenting materials related to the archaeo-chemical and traditional skills used by Koreans in the production of metal/glass goods.

Researchers selecting samples

View of handheld X-ray fluorescence analyzer in use

View of analysis

Checking the results of analysis

Collection of samples of glass pieces

Collection of samples of a glass production kiln

Researchers collec-ting samples from thelid of glazed earthenware

Researchers arranging materials