Producing of Bronze Artifacts Excavated from Gulsansa Temple Site in Gangneung: Technology and Provenance

Abstract

Bronzes excavated from a Gulsansa temple site in Gangneung were investigated in order to study the production of technology and provenance in this area. The bronze artifacts were discovered to consist of copper-tin or copper-tin-lead alloys using chemical analysis(EDS and EPMA). The excavated bronzes were manufactured using a casting or hammering process, and a bronze belt was gilded with gold foil. The provenance of 25 bronzes was studied using lead isotope analysis(TIMS and LA-MC-ICPMS). The results reveal the use of raw materials found near the excavated site. The object of this study was to investigate the manufacturing techniques and provenance in Gangneung without the need for a lot of data. Our results will contribute to the study of Gulsansa and bronze artifacts in Goryo(12-13th century).