Culture and health are linked in the modern world – this connection is shown not least by the diseases of civilization, which often result from lifestyle. However, how this relationship developed is unclear. Growth is an indicator of health. A smaller body size than would be expected based on genetic predisposition can therefore indicate unfavorable environmental or nutritional factors. Previous research suggests that people in the Neolithic period did not reach their genetic height potential. However, it is not known how this differed between regions and between genders.
Samantha Cox and her colleagues analyzed data from 1,535 Neolithic individuals using ancient DNA, stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon (indicating diet), paleopathology (indicating health) and skeletal measurements. Their age has been dated to between 8,000 and 6,000 years. The aim was to investigate size differences and possible causes. The skeletons came from four regions of Europe: northern central Europe, southern central Europe, and the Balkans and the Mediterranean. From Saxony-Anhalt, samples from the Linear Ceramic Culture (5,500-4,900 BC) from Derenburg, Karsdorf and Halberstadt were examined. Sex was classified based on chromosomes or skeletal morphology.
The authors show that there was great environmental stress for both sexes in north-central Europe. In general, women are slightly smaller than men. However, the height of women in northern Central Europe was significantly smaller than would have been expected based on genetics. The researchers suspect that cultural preferences enabled boys to better compensate for the environmental stress placed on both sexes and thus grow taller than girls. “Possible causes could be advantages, such as better nutrition or more attention during the growth phase,” says Dr. Eva Rosenstock from the Bonn Center for ArchaeoSciences. According to the archaeologist at the University of Bonn, further research into nutritional behavior is necessary. “It is also still completely unclear what role early pregnancies play in adolescent girls’ bodies.”
In Mediterranean populations, however, the difference between the sexes was smaller. According to the team, this suggests that there was also less culturally driven gender inequality in this region. The researchers believe their findings support the role of cultural and environmental factors in the development of sex differences in stature over time. However, they acknowledge that their analyzes are limited by the availability of archaeological data.