Final Paper: Research Comparison

Al Goins

Salt Lake Black Particle Project

The “Salt Lake Black Particle Project” compares the ash/soot remnants in soil dated

pre-WWII versus soil dated post-WWII to gauge the difference in pollution levels. The data

seems to be compiled from original sources and from primary and secondary contexts. From the

data they have made theories on practices, dates, and advances in technology.

The overall layout of the research design is clean and straightforward. Each section is

given its own headline and focuses exclusively on the subject at hand. The images, graphs, and

maps correlate directly with the surrounding paragraphs. It was broken into the

introduction/thesis of the research design, the archaeology/fieldwork, the lab work, and the

results and conclusion.

In the “Research Design” section, the premise and research question are laid out in a neat

two paragraphs. The first paragraph laid out the plans for data/information collection and

analysis. The second clarified the question at hand: “if I could identify remnants of pollution in

the soil.” (Griffiths, 2011)

The “Surveying and Stratigraphic Coring” detailed the measures taken to collect and

record data from the site. Many images are shown in-action to demonstrate techniques used and

data gathered, along with the original notes, measurements, and sketches. It explained the
Final Paper: Research Comparison

Al Goins

purpose, tools, and process of coring, which was the main method used to collect soil samples,

and detailed the measures taken to preserve the integrity of the data.

Detailed lab work including texture analysis, particle sorting, analysis and comparative

sampling comprised the largest section. It included images of the tools used, zoomed in views of

the particles being studied, graphs, and tables. The conclusion was that more tests needed to be

done and more data collected before any thesis could be fully confirmed.

Joseon Mummification in Relation to Neo-Confician Rites

In the report “Joseon Mummification in Relation to Neo-Confician Rites”, the focus was

on cultural/religious practices that resulted in the mummification of the dead prevalent in the

Joseon dynasties. The paper was more of a summary of existing research, and not a proper

research design, since there was no direct access to original source material. The paper was

organized into an introduction with historical and religious context; a body that summarized the

excavation, findings, and analyses; and a conclusion.

The majority of the previous research on the subject focused on the environmental and

physical conditions that led to the mummification, and only hinted at a connection to

neo-confucianism. The Garyewollyu text referenced in "Tracing the Historical Origin of Joseon

Mummies considering the Structural Similarities between the Burial Systems of Korean and

Chinese Dynasties" was the foundation of my research.

Final Paper: Research Comparison

Al Goins

The original research designs on the Joseon Mummies were laid out in a similar fashion

as the “Salt Lake Black Particle Project” and included several images of the excavation, the

cataloging, and the lab work. In "Mummification in Korea and China: Mawangdui, Song, Ming

and Joseon Dynasty Mummies" researchers conducted soil analysis and comparative

experiments to determine whether the limestone rich soil was directly correlated to the airtight

conditions that favored mummification. “Animal experiments were carried out to reproduce the

mummification process. Rats and miniature Hoegwakmyo grave models were used.” (Shin,

et.al., 2018)

Apart from the original research designs, the referenced religious text and related

doctrine was read to determine the accuracy of the theory that the burial was cheap, efficient and

promoted by Neo-Conficius teachings. A lot of historical background/context was included in

the “Joseon Mummification in Relation to Neo-Confician Rites” article, to emphasize the

connection between culture, religion, and practices.

Image from "Tracing the Historical Origin

of Joseon Mummies considering the
Structural Similarities between the Burial
Systems of Korean and Chinese Dynasties"
(Oh, et. al. 2017).

Features idu, the variation of Chinese

characters to suit Korean speech prior to the
creation of hangul.
Final Paper: Research Comparison

Al Goins

Conclusion

It was obvious from the “Salt Lake Black Particle Project” that the author had direct

contact with the site and materials. There were not a lot of citations since the vast majority of the

information was directly related to the original source. It was written by and for a scholastic

audience, that would be able to interpret the data without minimal historic context.

“Joseon Mummification in Relation to Neo-Confician Rites” is not the result of direct

fieldwork or analysis of original materials. It was strictly in the research phase of the

archaeological process: It was not a research design. Staying true to the research design format

would have likely resulted in plagiarism of the originals, due to the limited resources I was able

to access on the subject. It was written more as a summarization that might interest an

archaeology or history enthusiast.

Final Paper: Research Comparison

Al Goins

Sources Cited

Griffiths, Alan. “An Ongoing Archaeological Research Project on the History of Fossil

Fuel Pollution in the Salt Lake Valley” (2011)

Oh, Chang Seok, In Uk Kang, Jong Ha Hong, Sergey Slepchenko, Jun Bum Park, and

Dong Hoon Shin. "Tracing the Historical Origin of Joseon Mummies considering the

Structural Similarities between the Burial Systems of Korean and Chinese Dynasties."

Papers on Anthropology​ 26.2 (2017): 68. Print.

Shin, Dong Hoon, Raffaella Bianucci, Hisashi Fujita, and Jong Ha Hong. "Mummification

in Korea and China: Mawangdui, Song, Ming and Joseon Dynasty Mummies." ​BioMed

Research International 2018 (2018): 1-12. ​NCBI.​ US National Library of Medicine

National Institutes of Health, 13 Sept. 2018. Web.