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Eun Jin Woo1
, Chae Lin Jeon2
, Chae Lin Jeon2
Abstract
In this study, the case of the burial of a couple with their perinatal child in a cemetery from the Joseon period (Eunpyeong site) of South Korea was examined. In archaeological populations, high mortality rates of young females are often associated with problems related to pregnancy and childbirth. However, discoveries of pregnant women and fetal skeletons are very rare in archaeological research. Here, we report the case of a burial of a pregnant female and her perinatal child from a Joseon period cemetery site. The gestational age of fetus was estimated to be between 8.5 months and 9.5 months based on the cranial size and long bone length. The pregnant female under study appears to have died with fetal remains in utero. An examination of this case did not provide evidence that stress of obstetrical event was the direct cause of death. The rare case presented here makes a valuable contribution to the literature on pregnancy and obstetrical issues in past populations.
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Fig. 2.
Fetal skeleton from Burial 4-1-210 showing the degree of skeletal preservation (White skeleton: 8 months fetus from Bone Clones).
Table 1.
Skeletal measurements and gestational age in fetal weeks
| Element | Side | Measurement (mm) |
Gestational age (weeks) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fazekas and Kósa [13] | Scheuer [17] | |||
| Temporal | ||||
| Pars petrosa | Right | 33.9 | 36-38 | Not applicable |
| Left | 29.0 | 32-34 | Not applicable | |
| Mandibular | ||||
| Body length | Right | 31.7 | 36 | Not applicable |
| Oblique length | Right | 44.7 | 36 | Not applicable |
| Humerus | ||||
| Max. length | Right | 56.2 | 34-38 | 32.1-36.7 |
| Ilium | ||||
| Max. length | Right | 27.5 | 34 | Not applicable |
| Left | 27.8 | 34-36 | Not applicable | |
| Max. width | Right | 23.1 | 32 | Not applicable |
| Left | 23.3 | 34 | Not applicable | |
| Femur | ||||
| Max. length | Right | 64.1 | 34-38 | 32.6-36.8 |
| Left | 64.9 | 34-38 | 32.9-37.1 | |
| Distal width | Right | 13.7 | 30-32 | Not applicable |
| Left | 14.4 | 32-34 | Not applicable | |
| Tibia | Right | 54.7 | 34-36 | 32.4-36.6 |
| Max. length | Left | 55.7 | 34-36 | 32.8-37.0 |
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