Anthropological Analysis of Archaeological Human Remains in Korea: Current Research and Trends

This lecture aims to help participants understand the Rakhigarhi project of Harappan people and current anthropological research on archaeological human remains from Korea. Currently, anthropological research from archaeological human remains in Korea is interdisciplinary. Modern medical expertise is combined with archaeological, anthropological and historical information to identify and explore the biological consequences of human bio-cultural adaptation in the past Korea. This yield the microbiological research of the mummified individuals and the general anthropological and pathological analysis of individuals buried in large scale cemetery sites. In particular, current paleopathological research of Korea has shifted its focus toward identifying broad trends in human health and disease in relation to other biological and cultural data. Also, recently developed diagnostic procedures and analytic methods for extracting relevant data from human remains provide new options to the understand of the past life of the Korean people and to contribute for clarifying the role of disease in the evolutionary process that resulted in human societies today.

In 2013 year, The Deccan College and Institute of Forensic Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine have entered into an agreement for mutual collaboration in research related to the megalith culture in India and Korea. In this context, our team joined the investigation into Rakhigarhi site of India, one of the greatest sites ever discovered in Harappan Civilization. In the Rakhigarhi project, key questions is who exactly the Harappans were, and trace their origin and biological connection with people outside the Harappan region. Ultimately, we are trying to reconstruct of Harappan People's Life. Anthropological analyses of Harappan people will proceed as follows. First, we perform a forensic anthropological analysis to reconstruct a biological profile as one of the first and most important steps. Second, currently, we are trying to find out who they were by analyzing the DNA of the Harappan people. Third, we will try to capture and study the parasite eggs that once existed in the stomachs of those buried during the Harappan era, and ultimately isolate the DNA of their host, deposited within these eggs. This process is conducted through the analysis of soil sediments on hip bones. Fourth, we plan to reconstruct the diet of the prehistoric people through bone chemical analysis. The study of the diet of prehistoric peoples is an essential part of understanding how past communities were able to survive and adapt within particular environmental and social settings. Finally, facial reconstruction works will be conducted. We are going to reconstruct using the facial bones of two skeletons. As the result, we can show the world how the Harappan man looked like 4,500 years ago.