Eun Jin Woo

Paleopathological Study of Dwarfism-Related Skeletal Dysplasia in a Late Joseon Dynasty (South Korean) Population

Skeletal dysplasias related to genetic etiologies have rarely been reported for past populations. This report presents the skeletal characteristics of an individual with dwarfism-related skeletal dysplasia from South Korea. To assess abnormal deformities, morphological features, metric data, and computed tomography scans are analyzed. Differential diagnoses include achondroplasia or hypochondroplasia, chondrodysplasia, multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, thalassemia-related hemolytic anemia, and lysosomal storage disease. The diffused deformities in the upper-limb bones and several coarsened features of the craniofacial bones indicate the most likely diagnosis to have been a certain type of lysosomal storage disease. The skeletal remains of EP-III-4-No.107 from the Eunpyeong site, although incomplete and fragmented, provide important clues to the paleopathological diagnosis of skeletal dysplasias.

Evaluation of Mastoid Process as Sex Indicator in Modern White Americans using Geometric Morphometrics

Conventional methods for evaluating the mastoid as a sex indicator cannot determine whether mastoid shape is an independent and reliable sex indicator. Here, shape differences between the mastoids of 100 male and 100 female modern white Americans were statistically analyzed and visualized using the geometric morphometric method. Discriminant analysis was performed on mastoid size and shape. The relation between size and shape was analyzed to examine the effect of size on shape. In the results, mastoid size and shape were statistically significant sex indicators, while size factor explained 87.3% of the total variance of the shape variables. Nevertheless, females had relatively broader and shorter mastoid shape than males regardless of size, reflecting 12.7% of the total variance of the shape variables. In conclusion, mastoid size and shape were statistically significant sex indicators, while size may matter more in the mastoid than in other cranial parts in terms of sexual dimorphism.

Anthropological Study on the Cremated Bones of the Late Silla Kingdom Period in Korean History

Abstract Anthropological studies on burnt bones revealed patterns by which the nature of archaeological cremation cases can be hypothesized. However, there have been very few histological analyses performed on cremated bones obtained from archaeological sites in East Asia. The researchers, therefore, endeavored to isolate the heat-induced changes in Late Silla Kingdom bones that probably had been subjected to post-mortem cremation. When the researchers examined the bone samples by S-4700 scanning electron microscope (SEM), color changes in the bones were observed, showing that the cremation temperature might have reached a high level. By the detailed SEM study on bony microstructure, the researchers estimated that the temperature in one case (Gangneung) reached about 800°C and in another (Pyeongtaek), possibly as high as 1000-1400°C. The histological nature of ancient cremated bones in Korea is revealed for the first time ever in the present study, by which the cremation temperature of them could be successfully estimated.

Archaeological and anthropological studies on the Harappan cemetery of Rakhigarhi, India

An insufficient number of archaeological surveys has been carried out to date on Harappan Civilization cemeteries. One case in point is the necropolis at Rakhigarhi site (Haryana, India), one of the largest cities of the Harappan Civilization, where most burials within the cemetery remained uninvestigated. Over the course of the past three seasons (2013 to 2016), we therefore conducted excavations in an attempt to remedy this data shortfall. In brief, we found different kinds of graves co-existing within the Rakhigarhi cemetery in varying proportions. Primary interment was most common, followed by the use of secondary, symbolic, and unused (empty) graves. Within the first category, the atypical burials appear to have been elaborately prepared. Prone-positioned internments also attracted our attention. Since those individuals are not likely to have been social deviants, it is necessary to reconsider our pre-conceptions about such prone-position burials in archaeology, at least in the context of the Harappan Civilization. The data presented in this report, albeit insufficient to provide a complete understanding of Harappan Civilization cemeteries, nevertheless does present new and significant information on the mortuary practices and anthropological features at that time. Indeed, the range of different kinds of burials at the Rakhigarhi cemetery do appear indicative of the differences in mortuary rituals seen within Harappan societies, therefore providing a vivid glimpse of how these people respected their dead.

Horse-riding accidents and injuries in historical records of Joseon Dynasty, Korea

Only a few osteological reports describe bone injuries thought to have been caused by falls from horses. Nevertheless, anthropological study alone is insufficient for establishing the correlates of such equestrian accidents. We therefore reviewed the records in Seungjeongwon ilgi (Diaries of the Royal Secretariat) and Joseon wangjo silrok (Annals of the Joseon Dynasty) of the Koreas Joseon period (1392-1910 CE). Although the mechanisms of trauma were diverse, the Joseon documents recorded many injuries caused by horse-riding accidents. During 1625-1872 CE, equestrian-related accidents occurred almost every year, overwhelming other causes of trauma. In all horse-riding accidents (n=142), 37.77% of the records offer detailed data about the traumatic mechanism. Injuries occurred most frequently to the extremities (79.58%), which were followed by the trunk (34.5%) and head (4.92%). Although we do not think that this attempt can explain every paleopathological case, our historical review shows that equestrian-related injuries could be considered as one of the major causes for the bone trauma observed among ancient equestrian people.

Bio-Anthropological Studies on Human Skeletons from the 6th Century Tomb of Ancient Silla Kingdom in South Korea

In November and December 2013, unidentified human skeletal remains buried in a mokgwakmyo (a traditional wooden coffin) were unearthed while conducting an archaeological investigation near Gyeongju, which was the capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 BCE– 660 CE) of ancient Korea. The human skeletal remains were preserved in relatively intact condition. In an attempt to obtain biological information on the skeleton, physical anthropological, mitochondrial DNA, stable isotope and craniofacial analyses were carried out. The results indicated that the individual was a female from the Silla period, of 155 ± 5 cm height, who died in her late thirties. The maternal lineage belonged to the haplogroup F1b1a, typical for East Asia, and the diet had been more C3- (wheat, rice and potatoes) than C4-based (maize, millet and other tropical grains). Finally, the face of the individual was reconstructed utilizing the skull (restored from osseous fragments) and three-dimensional computerized modeling system. This study, applying multi-dimensional approaches within an overall bio-anthropological analysis, was the first attempt to collect holistic biological information on human skeletal remains dating to the Silla Kingdom period of ancient Korea.

A comparison of cranial fluctuating asymmetry between the two sexes in a Joseon Dynasty population of Korea.

SUMMARY Cranial fluctuating asymmetry (FA) has been used to examine developmental stress levels in various populations. In bioarchaeological studies, developmental stress can be an important factor for inferring standard of living in a population. However, the crania of a Joseon Dynasty population have only been studied in terms of its morphological characteristics. In this regard, the cranial FA of the two sexes from a Joseon Dynasty population of Korea were compared here for examining their aspects of living conditions in relation to developmental stress and socio-cultural factors. In this study, 77 individuals (39 males and 38 females) who belong to the 15th to the early-20th centuries from Seoul and Gyeonggi province in Korea were investigated. Nineteen three-dimensional landmarks on the vault and basicranium were collected using MicroScribe G2X. The coordinate data were aligned into a common coordinate plane by Procrustes least-squares superimposition. Procrustes ANOVA was adopted to evaluate FA at a population level. The FA of males and females were compared with t-test using SPSS 18. There was statistically insignificant difference in FA between the two sexes in the Joseon Dynasty population. The result was interpreted to reflect both relatively high developmental stress and sex-related discrimination in the population. It was postulated that relatively high developmental stress could increase difference in FA between the two sexes in the prenatal term compared to the postnatal term because sex-related discrimination cannot be practiced before birth and males have lower stress resistance than females. Then, the difference between the two sexes in the cranial FA could be decreased during postnatal development related to sex-related discrimination, resulting in insignificant FA difference of the two sexes in spite of high developmental stress of the Joseon Dynasty population. The results will be useful for comparing and reconstructing living conditions of ancient Korean populations.