title: Harris lines observed in human skeletons of Joseon Dynasty, Korea.
abstract: The Harris line (HL), caused by bone-growth arrest and manifesting on X-rays as a radiopaque transverse line in the metaphysis of the long bones, is an indicator reflecting stress conditions such as disease or malnutrition. HL frequency has been assumed to differ between pre-modern and modern societies, as reflective of increased caloric intake and overall nutritional improvements attendant on industrialization. To determine if such a change occurred in Korea, in the present study we compared the respective HL statuses in medieval Joseon and modern Korean population samples. HLs were found in 39.4% (28/71) of the Joseon Koreans. Whereas only 27.5% (11/40) of the males showed an HL, fully 54.8% (17/31) of the females exhibited it. Notably, HLs were observed in only 16.4% (35/213) of the modern Koreans; more remarkably still, the HL rate was almost the same between the sexes, 16.7% (20/120) for the males and 16.1% (15/93) for the females. The HL frequency was much higher in the Joseon Koreans than in their modern counterparts, reflecting the improvement of nutritional status that had been achieved in the course of South Korea's modernization. This HL-frequency decrease was much more obvious in the female populations. The higher HL frequency among the Joseon females might reflect the relatively poor nutritional condition of females in pre-modern Korean society.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jaewon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beom
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, College of Social Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Jin
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: In Sun
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Scientific Working Group on Bioanthropology and Paleopathology of Korea, Seoul, Korea. ; Department of Anatomy, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Myeung Ju
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Scientific Working Group on Bioanthropology and Paleopathology of Korea, Seoul, Korea. ; Department of Anatomy, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yi-Suk
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ; Scientific Working Group on Bioanthropology and Paleopathology of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Seok
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Division of Forensic Medicine, National Forensic Service, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Seob
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Forensic Medicine, National Forensic Service, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Beom
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ; Scientific Working Group on Bioanthropology and Paleopathology of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Hoon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Shin
keywords: Harris line; Joseon Dynasty; Long bone; Nutritional status; Republic of Korea; Tibia