Case Study of Transmitted X-ray Imaging for Archaeological Objects

Radiation has been widely used in various fields such as NDT, medicine, industries, education, and research. In the area of cultural heritages, radiography has been developed from one dimensional to complex three-dimensional images. It is possible to investigate the detailed internal structure that can not be confirmed in one dimension, contributing to the development of cultural property preservation technology. In the academic and research fields, researches on production techniques through age dating, porcelain production area estimation, and principal component analysis are actively under way. A typical example thereof is X-ray transmission irradiation. The internal shape, corrosion, and cracks of the artifacts which can not be confirmed with the naked eye are confirmed through the radiation device, which is used as basic data for the preservation of cultural properties. The first application of X-rays to cultural properties in Korea was the National Museum of Korea in 1963, the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Korea in the early 1980s. We have built professional workforce and equipment. About 5000 cases were surveyed from 1979 to 2008, and they are used for various materials and fields until now. In 2009, X-ray computed tomography (CT), which is capable of tomographic imaging for the first time as a cultural property agency, is in operation. Until now, the Institute for Cultural Properties has been operating a radiation generator (200kVp x 3mA, 150kVp x 3mA, 220kVp x 5mA, 225kVp x 3mA) and Co-60 and Cs-137. In this article, we will examine basic theories and research cases based on the nondestructive transmission survey data at the Cultural Heritage Conservation Science Center. In this article, we briefly introduced how to use X-ray transmission and tomography in cultural properties. It is not merely checking the structure and form of cultural properties, but also grasping the degree of damage, production techniques, information of inner relics, etc., and is used for conservation, repair and restoration of cultural properties. In addition, it is also being used in the place of replacing the real artifact with X-ray photographs, and will be used for copying cultural objects using 3D printing technology through 3D images shot by CT.