Species Identification of Ancient Wood Excavated from Capital Area in Sabi Era, Baekje

백제 사비기 목제유물의 수종 식별과 분석

This study was made to identify species of archaeological wood products excavated from three sites(Kwunbuk-ni, Gungnamgi, Wanggung-ni) of Sabi Era, Baekje. These sitesare presumably considered as capital areas of Sabi Era, Baekje. Total of 220 specimens were identified into five softwoods and eighteen hardwoods. Pinus densiflora(or Pinusthunbergii) and Quercus spp. are the most common and occupied 32%, 28% of totalspecimen, respectively. The others are follows : Torreya nucifera(1%), Abiesholophylla(3%), Cryptomeria japonica(4%), Thuja spp.(2%), Chamaecyparisobutusa(2%), Salix spp.(1%), Platycarya strobilacea (3%), Alnus spp.(1%), Carpinusspp.(0.5%), Castanea crenata(9%), Zelkova serrata (6%), Celtis spp.(0.5%), Prunusspp.(2%), Rhus verniciflua(1%), Rhus trichocarpa(0.5%), Meliosma oldhamii(1%),Hovenia dulcis(1%), Kalopanax pictus(0.5%), Cornus walteri(0.5%), Styrax japonica(1%),Fraxinus rhynchophylla (0.5%), F. sieboldiana(1%).Most of the identified species have been growing in this area until nowadays. However,a few species(Cryptomeria japonica, Thuja spp. Chamaecyparis obutusa, Torreyanucifera) didn’t grow natively around this area at that time. Two species(Cryptomeriajaponica, Chamaecyparis obutusa) are endemic species of Japan, indicating international trade or exchange of woods between Baekje Kingdom and Japan in 6-7th century. Torreyanucifera grows in limited areas in Korea (south of $35^{\circ}$10′N), however, is widely distributed in the southern Japan. Quercus spp. was identified the most in implements of Baekje and Pinus densiflora(orPinus thunbergii) was in the second place. Zelkova serrata was mainly used for raw materials of turnery products, e.g., wooden container. This species produces one of the hardest woods as 0.7 in specific gravity. It indicates that iron technologies have reached some high level in Sabi Era, Beakje.