뼈대의 퇴행성 변화는 개체가 살아가는 동안 겪는 행위, 즉 육체적 경험이 축적된 행위 복원 지표로 사회구성원들이 경험하는 행위의 종류와 양을 보여줄 수 있으며, 이러한 정보를 통해 우리는 죽은 이의 사회적 지위를 추론해 볼 수 있다. 그러나 지금까지 퇴행성 변화와 사회적 지위에 대한 연구는 제한적으로 이루어져 왔으며, 더욱이 국내의 인골자료를 통한 연구는 전무하다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 개체의 사회경제적 지위를 추론할 수 있게 하는 고고학적 지표인 분묘 형식과 역학적 스트레스를 반영하는 뼈대 지표, 즉 퇴행성 변화와의 관계를 통해 묘제에 의한 역학적 스트레스 패턴의 양상을 살펴보고자 하였다.
본 연구는 서울시 은평구 진관동 일대의 조선시대 분묘군에서 출토된 인골 가운데 성과 연령의 판정이 가능하고 분묘 형식을 알 수 있는 성인 143개체를 대상으로 하였다(남성; 75개체, 여성; 68개체). 퇴행성 변화에 대해서는 6개의 관절부위(어깨, 팔꿈치, 손목, 엉덩이, 무릎, 발목)를 Buikstra와 Ubelaker(1994)의 방법으로 육안 관찰하였다. 분묘 형식은 회의 사용여부와 제작방법을 기준으로 토광묘와 곽 형식의 회묘, 답축 형식의 회묘, 충전 형식의 회묘로 구분하였다.
분석결과, 성별 퇴행성 변화의 분포는 남성은 손목(20.7%) - 팔꿈치(15.3%) - 엉덩이(14.9%) - 어깨(11.9%) - 무릎(5.8%) - 발목(4.4%), 여성은 무릎(15.2%) - 팔꿈치(15%) - 엉덩이(13.1%) - 손목(4.6%) - 어깨(4%) - 발목(2.4%) 순으로 확인되었다. 퇴행성 변화와 분묘 형식 간의 관계는 통계적으로 유의한 관계를 보이지 않았다.
조선시대의 상장은 신분제가 반영된 상례절차로 일반적으로 토광묘는 평민의 묘제로, 회묘는 사대부의 묘제로 이해되어 왔다. 그러나 토광묘와 회묘에서 출토되는 유물은 양ㆍ질적으로 차이를 보이지 않았으며, 본 연구에서도 두 변수 간 유의한 관계는 확인되지 않았다. 분묘 형식에 의한 계급차와 개체의 스트레스 패턴에 대한 앞으로의 연구는 사회적 의미를 내포하는 고고학 지표들과 역학적 스트레스 외 기타 스트레스 반영 뼈대지표들 간의 관계를 통해 보다 다양한 의미해석이 이루어져야 하겠다.
The aim of this research is to explore the relationship between burial types and degenerative joint disease. DJD, also known as osteoarthritis, is a skeletal stress marker related to physical activities. Using skeletal materials from the Joseon dynasty in Korea,we tested the hypothesis that mechanical loading involving physical activities is socially distributed in a population. This hypothesis was tested through the statistical treatment of DJD as a skeletal stress marker of activity, its occurrence by age and sex, and association with burial type. The skeletal samples used in this study come from a cemetery site from Eunpyeong-gu in Seoul, dating from the mid 15th century to the early 20th century. The frequency of DJD at four out of six joints - shoulder, wrist, hip, and ankle - was higher in males that in females. The wrist joint expecially showed a significant sexual difference in the prevalence of DJD. The analyses for association between burial type and DJD reveal that there is no statistical association. Although DJD is strongly affected by mechanical stress throughout adulthood, no significant relationship between DJD and inferred social status via burial type was found in this study. Compared to other skeletal collections in other countries, the high prevalence of DJD at the wrist joint in males and at the knee joint in females is notable. Burial types in the Middle and Late Joseon dynasty appear to indicate the economic power of the deceased just before death. Finally, this research suggests that it would be required for physical anthropologists and archaeologists to conduct joint research in the future to have more comprehensive understanding of the lifestyles of people from the Joseon dynasty, as well as the burial types employed during this specific time period.
The aim of this research is to explore the relationship between burial types and degenerative joint disease. DJD, also known as osteoarthritis, is a skeletal stress marker related to physical activities. Using skeletal materials from the Joseon dynasty in Korea,we tested the hypothesis that mechanical loading involving physical activities is socially distributed in a population. This hypothesis was tested through the statistical treatment of DJD as a skeletal stress marker of activity, its occurrence by age and sex, and association with burial type. The skeletal samples used in this study come from a cemetery site from Eunpyeong-gu in Seoul, dating from the mid 15th century to the early 20th century. The frequency of DJD at four out of six joints - shoulder, wrist, hip, and ankle - was higher in males that in females. The wrist joint expecially showed a significant sexual difference in the prevalence of DJD. The analyses for association between burial type and DJD reveal that there is no statistical association. Although DJD is strongly affected by mechanical stress throughout adulthood, no significant relationship between DJD and inferred social status via burial type was found in this study. Compared to other skeletal collections in other countries, the high prevalence of DJD at the wrist joint in males and at the knee joint in females is notable. Burial types in the Middle and Late Joseon dynasty appear to indicate the economic power of the deceased just before death. Finally, this research suggests that it would be required for physical anthropologists and archaeologists to conduct joint research in the future to have more comprehensive understanding of the lifestyles of people from the Joseon dynasty, as well as the burial types employed during this specific time period.
