Diachronic effects of bio-cultural factors on stature and body proportions in British archaeological populations : the impact of living conditions, socio-economic, nutritional and health status on growth, development, maximum attained stature and physical shape in archaeological skeletal population samples
Humans, like all animal species, are subject to Bergmann's (1847) and Allen's (1877) environmental rules which summarize physical adaptations to the natural environment. However, humans are in addition cultural animals and other bio-cultural factors such as social, economic and political status, general health, and nutrition, have a noticeable influence on stature and body proportions. Importantly, socio-economic status has a powerful influence on stature, which has been used to elucidate status differences in past societies (Bogin and Loucky, 1997; Floud et al., 1990; Schutkowski, 2000a). Furthermore, bio-cultural factors influence all dimensions of the human body, including weight, relative limb length, and relative length of the different limb segments. Given minimal migration and shared natural environments, all populations in this study, coming as they do from the last 2000 years of English history, should demonstrate similar morphology (c. f Ruff, 1994) if climatic variables were the only influence on stature and body proportions. In order to assess such bio-cultural factors in individuals from archaeological populations, skeletal populations from sites such as known leprosaria and medieval hospitals,
Schweich, Marianne
Stature ; Body proportions ; Palaeopathology ; Bio-cultural factors ; Nutrition and health ; Socio-economic status ; Human skeletal remains ; Osteometric data ; Roman Britain ; Post-medieval Britain ; Great Britain ; Archaeology
Diachronic effects of bio-cultural factors on stature and body proportions in British archaeological populations : the impact of living conditions, socio-economic, nutritional and health status on growth, development, maximum attained stature and physical shape in archaeological skeletal population samples. Humans, like all animal species, are subject to Bergmann's (1847) and Allen's (1877) environmental rules which summarize physical adaptations to the natural environment. However, humans are in addition cultural animals and other bio-cultural factors such as social, economic and political status, general health, and nutrition, have a noticeable influence on stature and body proportions. Importantly, socio-economic status has a powerful influence on stature, which has been used to elucidate status differences in past societies (Bogin and Loucky, 1997; Floud et al., 1990; Schutkowski, 2000a). Furthermore, bio-cultural factors influence all dimensions of the human body, including weight, relative limb length, and relative length of the different limb segments. Given minimal migration and shared natural environments, all populations in this study, coming as they do from the last 2000 years of English history, should demonstrate similar morphology (c. f Ruff, 1994) if climatic variables were the only influence on stature and body proportions. In order to assess such bio-cultural factors in individuals from archaeological populations, skeletal populations from sites such as known leprosaria and medieval hospitals,
diachronic effect cultural factor stature body proportion british archaeological_population impact living_condition socio_economic nutritional health_status growth_development maximum stature physical shape archaeological skeletal_population sample humans like animal specie subject allen environmental rule summarize physical adaptation natural_environment however human addition cultural animal cultural factor social_economic_political status general health nutrition noticeable influence stature body proportion importantly socio_economic_status powerful influence stature use_elucidate status difference past_society furthermore cultural factor_influence dimension human_body include weight relative limb length relative length different limb segment given minimal migration share natural_environment population study come english history similar morphology climatic variable influence stature body proportion order_assess cultural factor individual archaeological_population skeletal_population site know medieval hospital