A Scientific Analysis of Rusty Textiles from the Gaya Period Excavated at No.63 Tomb Gyodong, Changnyeong

Abstract

This study presents the results of an analysis of the rusty textile around the gilt-bronze crown and silver belt discovered during an excavation survey of Tomb No. 63 in Gyodong, Changnyeong, South Korea, in 2020. Microscopic observation was conducted to observe the conservation and weaving states of the textile, and cross/side-sectional investigation was performed for fiber identification. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were also carried out. The number of layers of the fabric in the gilt-bronze crown could not be determined because of severe fiber degradation. However, the silk fibers in the triangular cross-section of the fabric were confirmed to have twill and plain weave patterns. The fabric around the silver belt featured a round cross-section. SEM and cross/side-sectional investigation revealed that this fabric consisted of wool fibers. Gyodong Tomb No. 63 is an important relic of the Gaya period, which was verified atas a historical sites of the late 5th century, and were identified diagonally patterned fabrics, such as silk twill. This study is significant because we obtained data on ancient wool fibers by performing an extensive examination of the wool tabby that had only been previously described in the literature.