Dating and rating of Harris's lines

Abstract

Well-preserved skeletons of 50 Dutch whalers from the 17th and 18th centuries, buried on the island of Zeeusche Uytkyck , were excavated during the Spitsbergen Expedition 1980. In order to estimate the biological age of these skeletons at the time that Harris's lines were formed, a method which was developed from routine X-ray data on tibial growth was tested. Formation ages of diaphyseal lines and strong metaphyseal lines appear to correspond well with hypoplastic enamel deformations within the same individuals. Because of the involvement of both the bone and tooth developmental systems, and of the resistance of these lines to bone remodeling, it can be assumed that they generally are the result of serious health insults.

Harris lines of the tibia across centuries: a comparison of two populations, medieval and contemporary in Central Europe

“…The distal end of the tibia was considered to be the most suitable for the assessment of Harris lines [4,5,6,7]. Only those lines which extended to at least one-quarter across the width of the shaft were considered representative [10,23].…”

“…Estimation of the age of the individual at the time of formation of Harris lines was performed using the method of Maat [5], which includes the following steps ( Fig. 2): 1.…”

“…2. Determination of the level of primary ossification centre (O) at 43% of the tibial length measured from the distal articular surface [5]. …”

“…They are formed in the metaphysis of growing long bones parallel to the epiphyseal plate and appear later in the diaphysis as the length of bone increases with growth. Harris lines are seen in a variety of bones, but most researchers agree that the greatest number of Harris lines can be found in the distal end of the tibia; therefore, this bone was considered to be the most suitable for assessing the incidence of Harris lines [4,5,6,7]. These lines are called Harris growth arrest lines because they were first described by Henry A. Harris in 1931 [1].…”

Scanning Electron Microscopic Observation of Transverse (Harris) Lines in the Femur and Tibia of Anatomy Cadavers.

“…In anthropology, the occurrence of transverse lines has been extensively studied in excavated skeletons as an indicator of the living environment of ancient men (Allison and others, 1974;Clark and Mack 1988;Hirata 1993;Hojo 1976;Hughes and others, 1996;Hummert and Van Gervan 1985;Jones and Dean 1959;Maat 1984;McHenry 1968).…”