Sex differences in adult famine mortality in medieval London.
Black Death
bioarchaeology
hazards analysis
subsistence crises
Journal
American journal of physical anthropology
ISSN: 1096-8644
Titre abrégé: Am J Phys Anthropol
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0400654
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
01 2020
01 2020
Historique:
received:
02
07
2019
revised:
06
09
2019
accepted:
11
09
2019
pubmed:
7
10
2019
medline:
28
8
2020
entrez:
7
10
2019
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Recurrent famine events during the medieval period might have contributed to excess mortality during the Black Death in London, England (c. 1349-1350). Previous research using conventional methods of age estimation revealed that adult males experienced lower risks of mortality under "normal" (attritional) but not famine mortality conditions following the Black Death. However, given the biases inherent in conventional age estimation methods, this study reassesses sex differences in risks of medieval adult famine mortality using ages estimated via transition analysis, which avoids some of the limitations of conventional age estimation methods. We apply hazards analysis (the Gompertz model of adult mortality) to ages estimated for human skeletal remains (n = 1245) from London cemeteries dated to the pre-Black Death (c. 1000-1250 CE) and post-Black Death (c. 1350-1540 CE) periods. The results reveal no sex differences in risks of mortality before the Black Death but indicate that adult males faced lower risks of mortality after the Black Death during conditions of normal and famine mortality. These findings largely support those of our previous research, which suggested that selective mortality during the Black Death or sex-biased improvements in standard of living following the epidemic reduced risk of mortality for adult males in the post-Black Death period under normal mortality conditions. However, the use of transition analysis age estimates also revealed a reduced risk of mortality for post-Black Death adult males under famine conditions.
Types de publication
Historical Article
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
164-169Subventions
Organisme : American Association of Physical Anthropologists
ID : Professional Development Grant
Pays : International
Organisme : Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences
ID : BCS-1261682
Pays : International
Organisme : Wenner-Gren Foundation
ID : 8247
Pays : International
Informations de copyright
© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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