Material and Deterioration Characteristic Analysis for Inscribed Stones of Naksan Mountain Area of the Hanyangdoseong(Seoul City Wall), Korea

The Inscribed stones of Hanyangdoseong has been weathered for a long time because of external environment and living organisms. To establish a long-term conservation-management strategy for the inscription stones, the material characteristics of the inscription stones of Naksan Mountain Area were identified, and its deterioration state was diagnosed. Consequently, it was confirmed that the Inscription stones of Naksan Mountain Area mainly comprised coarse-to medium-grained pinkish granite and biotite granite, and, in part, comprised reddish granite, quartz porphyry, and aplite. Presently, the Inscription stones of Naksan Mountain Area, Hanyangdoseong, is undergoing a considerable decrease in physical properties because of physical, chemical, and biological weathering. Moreover, it has been confirmed that the type of damage, such as blistering, soiling, and dicolouration, on the surface shows a significantly high deterioration rate, and that conservation treatment might be required in future. In addition, because the possibility of damage recurrence is high even after the treatment, the conservation state must be regularly monitored.