A Material Study on Iron Artifacts Excavated from the Three Storied Stone Pagoda(Seokgatap) of Bulguksa Temple in Gyiongju

A material study of iron artifacts from the Three-Storied Stone Pagoda (Seokgatap) at Bulguksa Temple reveals that modern iron was likely used during its 2012 reconstruction. Analysis identified five types of iron—two steels, two white cast irons, and one gray cast iron—with radiocarbon dating suggesting the white cast irons originated between 640–990 CE, while the gray cast iron dates to approximately 30,000 years ago. Despite no historical records of repairs, the study suggests that some components may have been replaced with contemporary materials during later maintenance, complicating precise chronological determination due to the pagoda's lack of stratified layers.

Kwon, H. n., Hwang, J. j., Ryu, D. w., & Park, Y. h. (2018). A Material Study on Iron Artifacts Excavated from the Three Storied Stone Pagoda(Seokgatap) of Bulguksa Temple in Gyiongju. Journal of Korean Cultrual History, 50, 31–45. https://doi.org/10.29334/mhsh.2018.12.50.31