National Museum of Korea

Climate change is a major factor contributing to the loss of habitat and decline of amphibian populations, posing a threat to biodiversity conservation. Bufonidae species are particularly sensitive to changes in their environment and vulnerable to climate change due to their strong homing instinct and frequent group behavior (mating and migration of juveniles). We identified the major distribution areas and habitat characteristics of two toad species found in Korea, toad, Bufo gargarizans, and water toad, B. stejnegeri, based on observation points and species distribution modeling. Distributional changes due to climate change were predicted. The toads used low altitudinal ranges and agricultural land, whereas the water toads used forested areas. The average model test area under the curve (AUC) value for toads was 0.695± 0.007, while the average test AUC value for water toads was 0.883±0.015. Toad distribution was most affected by temperature and altitude. By the 2100s, the number of occupied grid cells for toads and water toads is predicted to decrease by 99.57% and 100.00%, respectively, compared to the present number of occurred grid cells under the SSP 5-8.5 scenario. These critical data inform conservation measures for amphibians affected by global climate change.

Modern records in Korea have been crafted with paper derived either by mixing with wood pulp or solely from wood pulp. In the restoration of missing parts of these types of paper, two primary materials, such as the paper itself and an adhesive, are used for restoring their forms. In the conservation treatment of wood pulp paper, the focus is not only on restoring its original form but also reinforcement of the paper itself. This study compares wheat starch and hydroxypropyl cellulose, commonly used adhesives for restoring wood pulp paper, with methylcellulose, which serves as a reinforcing material for enhancing paper strength. After applying these adhesives to newspapers lined with Hanji, key parameters, such as adhesive viscosity, applied volumes, the physical characteristics of the newspapers, chromaticity, and pH,were measured. Additionally, the conservativeness after deterioration was assessed. The findings revealed that methylcellulose exhibited superior adhesion despite having a lower viscosity compared to the other adhesives. Moreover, methylcellulose demonstrated outstanding tensile strength and folding endurance, with consistent results after deterioration. Regarding pH levels, all three adhesives(hydroxypropylcellulose, wheat starch, and methylcellulose) enhanced the pH levels of the newspapers. In conclusion,

Temperature and humidity data collection using real-time sensors and data loggers was conducted for integrated pest management in the collection storage and exhibition space of the Jeongnimsaji Museum, Buyeo. The real-time temperature and humidity monitoring system collected measurement data every 30 minutes and enabled real-time confirmation of the data through a linked application. If the temperature and humidity data measured in the real-time temperature and humidity monitoring system exceeds the set range, a push notification was sent to the mobile phone of the person in charge to provide status information to establish a continuous management system. Through this, it was possible to immediately recognize and take action when the temperature range exceeded the recommended relic temperature in August. We performed data visualization on the concentration of airborne fungus in the storage area and the inflow path and density of insects. Based on the recommended criteria presented by the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, The data on the spatial and temporal concentration of airborne fungus inside the collection storage were found to be maintained at a value below the standard recommended by the National Institute of Cultural Heritage (80 CFU/m3). Also, as a result of the insect inflow survey, no insects were captured inside the storage area, and in the case of the exhibition space, insects such as Scutigera coleoptrata, Loxoblemmus arietulus, Diestrammena asynamora, Koreoniscus racovitzai were captured. Based on this, as a result of visualization according to the individual density of captured insects by area, it was confirmed that the main inflow paths of insects were the external entrance and the toilet area.

Bronze mirrors, considered important grave goods, were widely used before glass mirrors in ancient times. Most excavated bronze artifacts are covered with corrosive materials and lose their original colors. More importantly, identifying corrosion characteristics and the manufacturing techniques used for these artifacts are essential for proper artifact preservation. In this study, Early Iron Age bronze mirrors excavated from the Korean Peninsula were examined to determine their microstructures, corrosion characteristics, and production techniques using various analytical methods, such as Micro-Raman spectroscopy and field emission electron probe microanalysis. As a result, sulfides containing iron suggested chalcopyrite use during production or that the sulfides originated from copper, iron, and sulfur residual matte. The analysis also detected corrosion layers with high tin oxide (SnO2) levels and selective corrosion in the α + δ eutectoid phase on the artifact’s surface. In the corrosive layer, cuprite, malachite, and cassiterite corrosion products were detected, and nanocrystalline SnO2 was identified as a characteristic of long-term soil erosion. Identifying these artifacts’ corrosion characteristics and manufacturing techniques is essential and can greatly contribute to proper artifact preservation.

A Representation of Nationhood in the Museum examines how the National Museum of Korea, as a national repository of material culture and the state’s premier exhibition facility, has shaped and been shaped by Korean nationalism. Exploring the processes by which the museum has discovered and interpreted material culture, using concepts of ethnic nationalism in the historical and political contexts of South Korean society, the book analyses how this nationalist interpretation has regulated South Koreans’ understanding of their material culture. Issues considered include: cultural and political relations with China; Japanese colonial rule, cultural imperialism and its legacy; the division of Korea since 1945; the Korean War and nation building since liberation in 1945; and domestic political upheavals, including military coups in 1961 and in 1979. Demonstrating that authoritarian regimes’ emphasis on the promotion of national unity drove national museums to establish national identity through material culture, Jang argues that international political and diplomatic factors also affect the process of the formation of national identity in a specific political context. Concerning itself with issues such as the relationship between politics and identity, museums and authoritarian regimes, this book should be essential reading for academics, researchers and postgraduate students in museum studies, nationalism studies, Asian studies and history departments.

The material composition of 19 ornaments used for women's hats in the late 19 th century to 20 th century, which are kept at National Folk Museum of Korea, was analyzed using SEM-EDS. Sixteen ornaments were composed of Na2O and PbO, which form adifferent lead glass from those that have been excavated or handed down since ancient times in Korea. The chemical composition analysis has confirmed that two ornaments belong to the mixed alkali glass, while one belongs to the potash glass type. This lead glass is similar in composition to the Japanese craft lead glass that was imported to Joseon during the Japanese colonial era. It is estimated that the lead glass ornaments used in women's hats in the late 19 th century to 20 th century were made from raw materials imported from Japan or made from lead glass used for crafts in Japan. This shows that jewelry such as jade and amber, which have been traditionally used in the modern and present ages, have been replaced by craft lead glass imported from Japan.

ObjectiveExtension and Agouti loci play a key role for proportions of eumelanin and pheomelanin in determining coat color in several species, including goat. Mongolian goats exhibit diverse types of coat color phenotypes. In this study, investigation of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) coding region in different coat colors in Mongolian goats was performed to ascertain the presence of the extension allele.MethodsA total of 105 goat samples representing three goat breeds were collected for this study from middle Mongolia. A 938 base pair (bp) long coding region of the MC1R gene was sequenced for three different breeds with different coat colors (Gobi Gurwan Saikhan: complete black, Zalaa Jinstiin Tsagaan: complete white, Mongolian native goat: admixture of different of coat colors). The genotypes of these goats were obtained from analyzing and comparing the sequencing results.ResultsA total of seven haplotypes defined by five substitution were identified. The five single nucleotide polymorphisms included two synonymous mutations (c.183C>T and c.489G>A) and three missense (non-synonymous) mutations (c.676A>G, c.748T>G, and c.770T>A). Comparison of genotypes frequencies of two common missense mutions using chi-sqaure (x2) test revealed significant differences between coat color groups (p<0.001). A logistic regression analysis additionally suggested highly significant association between genotypes and variation of black versus white uniform combination. Alternatively, most investigated goats (60.4%) belonged to H2 (TGAGT) haplotype.ConclusionAccording to the findings obtained in this study on the investigated coat colors, mutations in MC1R gene may have the crucial role for determining eumelanin and pheomelanin phenotypes. Due to the complication of coat color phenotype, more detailed investigation needed.