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Overview
Human Biology and History weaves together the fields of biology, archaeology, and anthropology in an exchange of methods and theoretical perspectives that exemplify the interaction between human biology and history. The book presents methods developed for the analysis of biological material that can be applied to historical specimens to reveal the lifestyles and environments of individuals who lived thousands of years ago. Historical data sources are used to reveal the biology and population structure of past civilizations, while biological methods are used to interpret historical patterns and processes.
This multi-disciplinary volume presents a unique interlacing of human biology and history to illustrate how individuals and societies have evolved over time. It is an insightful reference for human biologists, historians, and students interested in the intriguing connections that can be made when scientific techniques are applied within a historical context.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780367454869 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | CRC Press |
| Publication date: | 12/18/2020 |
| Series: | Society for the Study of Human Biology |
| Pages: | 236 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d) |
About the Author
Malcolm Smith is Senior Lecturer in Anthropology at the University of Durham, UK. His main research is in the use of evolutionary models to interpret the genetic and demographic structure of historical populations. Society for the Study of Human Biology Symposium 42
Table of Contents
List of figures x
List of tables xi
List of contributors xii
Preface xiv
1 Human biology and history: the scope and scale of interaction Malcolm Smith 1
Introduction 1
Contents 2
Conclusion 7
2 Adaptation and the English demographic regime John Landers 11
Introduction 11
Adaptation and the organic economy 11
The English case: population and economy 15
Adaptation and maladaptation 22
3 British polygyny Laura Betzig 30
The British peerage 30
The bastardy ratio 32
Household size 34
Household composition 36
Fornication 37
Adultery 47
Kings 56
Conclusion 84
4 Warfare and population structure James H. Mielke 98
Introduction 98
Materials 98
The War of Finland 99
Impact of the war 100
Discussion and summary 106
5 Isonymy analysis: the potential for application of quantitative analysis of surname distributions to problems in historical research Malcolm Smith 112
Introduction 112
Surname studies in history 113
Surname studies in biological anthropology 115
Marital isonymy 115
Random isonymy 118
Case studies 119
Case study: coastguards at Selsey 120
Case study: occupations in Fylingdales 122
The application of isonymy to historical questions 127
6 Calculating nutritional status in the past from historical sources Derek J. Oddy 134
Introduction 134
Sources for calculating nutritional status 135
Dietary analysis 138
Results 139
Long-term trends 143
7 The achievements of anthropometric history Roderick Floud 152
Introduction 152
The pattern of change in height 155
Height and the 'standard of living' debate 158
Future challenges 160
8 Paleopathology as a tool for the study of survival of past populations Pia Bennike 165
Introduction 165
Neanderthals and the Upper Palaeolithic populations 166
Paleopathology and palaeodemography of Neanderthals 166
The Upper Palaeolithic population 168
The Mesolithic and Neolithic populations 170
The Mesolithic population 171
The Greenland Eskimos and the Norse 173
The Norse 173
9 'Observe: our noses were made to carry spectacles, so we have spectacles' Christopher J. Knüsel 178
The Panglossian Paradigm 178
Plasticity: definitions and historical context 179
The origins of modern interest in plastic change 180
Controversy and context 182
Early developments 184
Conclusions 189
10 Mines, meals and movement: a human ecological approach to the interface of 'history and biology' Holger Schutkowski 195
Introduction 195
Historical biomonitoring 196
Residential mobility 200
Dietary behaviour 202
Conclusion 208
Index 212