Through mass media, we often hear that gene identification by the National Institute of Scientific Investigation (NISI) was the key in solving criminal cases. It suggests that modern technology is remarkable for its level of restoration and analysis. If so, why can’t we apply the advanced technology to old vestiges of history just as we use it to identify genes involved in crime scenes? There is a science of reviving cultural properties, which may have been forgotten from history. This science allows us to learn new facts about history. It is called conservation science. What is the conservation science and why is it considered important? Furthermore, what are the methods of conserving cultural properties?
Conservation science is a science for the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage. By researching materials and techniques for making cultural assets, it enables us to restore the original form of damaged cultural properties and to preserve the value, meaning, and historical traces. In 1918, during the Japanese colonial period, Japanese brought the conservation science to Korea. In 1961, Korea adopted the conservation science for the actual measurement and conservation of the Seokguram Grotto, which is a shrine from the Silla Dynasty (57 BC to 935 AD). Again, in 1971, Korea recognized the importance of conservation science through the preservation treatment of relics, which were excavated in the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong, which is included in cultural area of Baekje Kingdom (18 BC to 668 AD). So far, there have been many advances in conservation science since the establishment of the conservation science laboratory in the National Museum of Korea in 1976.
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of conservation science, the National Museum of Korea held a special exhibition about conservation science from March 8 to May 22 of this year. It became popular among visitors and it attracted 40,000 people. Then, what kinds of fields are in the conservation science which is on the front burner recently? It can be divided into three areas. They are scientific preservation treatment, analysis, and environment management. All of them are important to maintain and preserve the intrinsic value of cultural properties. Firstly, in the case of scientific preservation treatment, the general process includes the restoration process and it has 6 steps of treatment, which covers research, execution, and record arrangement. In this process, conservation scientists study the constitution, style, quality of the materials, techniques of manufacturing, and condition of the relics. After that, they take the needed treatment for the target. Secondly, there is another area called cultural heritage analysis. It is to unearth the characteristic of cultural assets through natural scientific ways. From this, we can get archaeologically and historically important information. Among others, the research on the manufacturing techniques of the relics through component analysis plays a big role in finding out momentous data, which is not known and hidden inside the relics. Finally, the last one is the environment management. By maintaining an optimal environment for these relics of various qualities, it contributes a lot to extending the life span of the relics. The factors which affect aging process of the relics are physical factors, such as temperature, humidity, light, etc. and chemical factors like oxidation, deoxidation, decomposition. Plus, biological factors, such as mold, pests, and atmospheric pollution caused by dust and harmful gas. Museums prevent relics from being damaged by forming the best surrounding environment.
In that case, what kinds of technologies are used in the areas of conservation science as above? In the very beginning, there is a research and analysis of using light. Lights, which are primarily used to research, are infrared light, visible rays, ultraviolet rays, and X-rays, etc. and the usage depends on the purpose. Since the infrared light features less scattering in the atmosphere than the visible rays and has properties of penetrating surface layer, it is used effectively on the research of the relics with traces of Chinese ink, used in writing and drawing. Chinese ink seldom reflects the infrared light and absorbs it well enough to look black in the infrared photography. In contrast to infrared light, visible rays are the light, which can be seen to the naked eye. The most representative example is observing micro area with an optical microscope. Ultraviolet rays, which have a shorter wavelength and high level of fluorescence than visible light, are used in appraisal of ancient documents and criminal investigations. In conservation science, ultraviolet rays are used frequently to find parts of potteries and metallic relics which are in need of repair. Lastly, compared to other lights, X-rays have strong penetrability. The degree of penetration varies depending on types and thickness of materials. It is useful to estimate internal structure, condition, and constituent of cultural heritage. Types of X-ray research method are X-ray inspection, Computed Tomography (CT), X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF), etc. In 2006, by using XRF, we found out that only the plating of the National Treasure No. 123 of Korea, Diamond Sutra Plaque, was a pure gold and not the whole thing was gold.
Another technology, which improves the perfection of investigation and restoration of the cultural assets, is digital restoration and one of the example would be 3D printing technology. The digital restoration of relics through the introduction of 3D scanning, modeling, and printing technology, has been a help to the optimum preservation treatment to restore the original state of broken relics. When we use 3D scanning technology, we can understand the shape of cultural properties more precisely than with the naked eye. Additionally, it can reproduce and reprocess modeled articles repetitively by producing the digital data of relics and recording the archive data. In addition, it is safer to obtain the restoration type rather than forming it by hand and it has another advantage of using various restoration materials which do not harm cultural assets. The restoration of the deleted dragon design of the White Porcelain Pitcher, an openwork piece of Song Dynasty of China, is an example of using 3D scanning.
As to the chemical treatment for stabilizing and strengthening, we need the help of conservation scientists in the process of disassembling, removing foreign material, gluing, and color matching. Even though the conservation science division of the National Museum of Korea started with only two people using magnifying glasses, tweezers, and samples of glue to restore cultural properties, it has succeeded in taking care of many significant cultural artifacts. The conservation scientists have restored such artifacts as the National Treasure No. 91, Earthenware Funerary Objects in the Shape of a Warrior on Horseback, No. 127, Gilt-bronze Standing Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva from Samyang-dong, Seoul, No. 295, Gilt-bronze Crown from Sinchon-ri, Naju, and the National Treasure, No. 287, Great Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje. It would not have been possible without the conservation scientists’ passion for maintaining the cultural relics. They are still working on the treatment now. Furthermore, by writing down the process of preservation treatment in detail, they enable descendants in the future to finish the uncompleted relics restoration of today.
It is a blessing that we can see the cultural properties for a long time because of the conservation science. If the relics were left alone, they could have been damaged until now. Many of the cultural assets which we come across in and out of the museum are there because of conservation science. If conservation science continues to develop, it will be possible to leave our cultural heritage intact to the next generation. In conclusion, I hope you take an interest in the methods of restoration and conservation of today used in conservation science. Moreover, I hope you have a better understanding of the efforts of the people who try to preserve our cultural properties.
