Comments on: Pre-Modern Life Expectancy

By: Adar

Adar — Sun, 24 May 2015 02:59:00 +0000

The pygmy are known even unto this day to kill an elephant with a single spear thrust. Sneak up behind the beast and stab the animal in the anus, penetrating deep into the rectum. The animal runs off in terrific pain and the hunter waits for a day or more for the animal to die from blood loss and shock.

By: Kudzu Bob

Kudzu Bob — Wed, 20 May 2015 08:17:53 +0000

I don’t know if Roman soldiers and Medieval knights were considered washed up at age 40, but according to HDF Kitto, it was not unheard of for sons, fathers, and grandfathers to fight side by side in Greek armies. He notes that ancient Greeks seemed to live fairly long lives and aged well, and attributes their health to good hygiene, a wholesome diet, and a mild climate. Having slave labor probably helped too.

By: R.

R. — Tue, 19 May 2015 16:33:16 +0000

Alrenous:

Why would they bother with throwing? IIRC their modus operandi was ambush hunting, presumably sprinting from cover towards a big animal and then thrusting a spear deep into it…

By: Grasspunk

Grasspunk — Tue, 19 May 2015 16:31:05 +0000

“An agrarian man typically worked from sunrise to sundown doing a small cluster of repetitive motions, resulting in a terribly worn body by about age 30.”

Only true if his cluster of repetitive motions includes drinking and f—ing.

By: Alrenous

Alrenous — Mon, 18 May 2015 02:32:06 +0000

Apparently butts are for throwing. And neanderthals didn't have maximus glutes. Ever noticed how scrawny chimp butts look? A human, I'm told, is the only animal that can kill conspecifics by throwing things at them. Everything else has to get into melee range.

By: A Boy and His Dog

A Boy and His Dog — Mon, 18 May 2015 02:27:54 +0000

This guy is spouting nonsense. It’s likely that pre-industrial agrarians had more free time than modern people, not less.

By: R.

R. — Sun, 17 May 2015 20:18:49 +0000

Can’t take the essay seriously, the guy plays fast and loose with data I know off. Gigantopithecus, a homind and ancestor?

Agrarian men worn out by age 30? Maybe the very first ones, who had no clue what they were doing, lack of protein, etc. Also, outside of places enabling year-long cultivation, peasant were hardly working from sunrise to sundown.. the hours they worked on average were less than 40 per week.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Sun, 17 May 2015 15:12:06 +0000

Hard to believe Neanderthals weren’t using pit traps.

By: Edwin

Edwin — Sun, 17 May 2015 14:43:36 +0000

Neanderthal had only thrusting weapons and no throwing weapons. I am not sure if Cro Magnon had throwing weaponry. Throwing sticks [like the boomerang] can bring down birds so that was a possible. Agriculture and animal husbandry [domesticated animals] goes hand in hand and then comes disease jumping from animals to humans?

By: Slovenian Guest

Slovenian Guest — Sun, 17 May 2015 14:15:19 +0000

And according to Wikipedia, the aurochs even survived until a few hundred years ago; the last recorded aurochs died 1627 in Poland. They made an ornamented hunting horn from that bull for King Sigismund!

Even Julius Caesar wrote about these beasts:

“…those animals which are called uri. These are a little below the elephant in size, and of the appearance, color, and shape of a bull. Their strength and speed are extraordinary; they spare neither man nor wild beast which they have espied. These the Germans take with much pains in pits and kill them. The young men harden themselves with this exercise, and practice themselves in this sort of hunting, and those who have slain the greatest number of them, having produced the horns in public, to serve as evidence, receive great praise. But not even when taken very young can they be rendered familiar to men and tamed. The size, shape, and appearance of their horns differ much from the horns of our oxen. These they anxiously seek after, and bind at the tips with silver, and use as cups at their most sumptuous entertainments.”