| Abstract |
| Ever since its first appearance in the Korean peninsula, bronze must have been playing an important role in Korean history. Due to the lack of metallurgical work, however, the archaeological study, based primarily on artifact typology, has produced little information on the technical aspects of bronze production in Korea. With this problem in mind and to understand the evolution of Korean bronze, the present study has examined microstructure of bronze artifacts excavated from the Boonhwang temple site in Kyongju. Three artifacts from other sites were also examined for comparison. Important evidence of technical transition was noticed in alloy composition and also in various thermo-mechanical treatments. The Sn content approaching the peritectic point in the Cu-Sn phase diagram and the removal of Pb from alloys were clearly evident with time. This change was coupled with the introduction, subsequent to casting, of special treatments such as quenching and forging. This study is to establish a general framework, though rough, that may be referenced and refined in future studies to the better assessment of Korean bronze technology with respect to its progressive development and its role in history. (Received June 8, 2004) |
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| Key Words |
| Metallurgical microstructure, Bronze artifacts, Boonhwang temple, Technology, Transition |
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