A Study on Digital Documentation of Precise Monitoring for Microscale Displacements within the Tomb of King Muryeong and the Royal Tombs in Gongju, Korea

Abstract

The tomb complex of the royal family from the period of the Ungjin Baekje Kingdom (475 to 538 AD) in Gongju, Korea, contains the tomb of King Muryeong and other royal tombs. After the excavation of the tomb of King Muryeong in 1971, these tombs were opened up to the public, without the establishment of systems for their safety, conservation and management. The tombs have consequently experienced rapid environmental changes and suffered various damages. In this study, specific vulnerable parts inside the tombs were selected for deviation analysis using 3D scanning, and 3D image models were constructed on this basis. Progressive displacement was identified in tomb No. 5, and basic data for future investigations was acquired from tomb No. 6 and the tomb of King Muryeong. In the deviation analysis for the southern plastered wall of tomb No. 5, the damage was not found to exceed the ranges of ±18 mm and ±2 mm. However, the lintel stone was found to be sagging by 0.32 mm on average, and the distance between the walls to have increased by 0.36 mm on average. Direct water seepage occurring in tomb No. 5 is considered to be increasing the damage within the tomb, such as the dropping and sagging of the lintel. The 3D image models constructed in this study will play an important role as baseline data for future research, and can be used to discuss a secure conservation scheme for the tombs through cross-validation with precise measurement monitoring.