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Drought-Related Changes in Two Hunter–Gatherer California Populations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Elizabeth Weiss
Elizabeth Weiss*
Affiliation:
Environmental Dynamics Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701
*
1Mailing address: E-mail: eweiss@anthrosciences.com. 1265 Richmond Street, Suite 1710, London, Ontario N6A 3M1, Canada.
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Abstract

Skeletal remains from two California cemeteries bracketing a severe drought that began around 1200 yr B.P. are analyzed to determine drought-related quality of life changes in Native Americans. Cemetery 1 predates the drought at 2895±160 yr B.P. to 1845±90 yr B.P. and Cemetery 2 dates it at 1100±90 yr B.P. to 1220±200 yr B.P. Quality of life was assessed through femoral computerized tomography scan measures of cortical thickness, age at adult death, and pathology/trauma frequency. After controlling for age and sex differences, changes from Cemetery 1 to Cemetery 2 showed decreases in cortical thickness and age at death and increases in pathology and trauma frequency.

Type
Short Paper
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 58 , Issue 3 , November 2002 , pp. 393 - 396
Copyright
University of Washington

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