Clark Angela L, Tayles Nancy, Halcrow Siân E
Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
Am J Phys Anthropol. 2014 Mar;153(3):484-95. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.22449. Epub 2013 Dec 13.
Numerous bioarcheological investigations have suggested that as agriculture intensifies, levels of physiological stress and poor health increase. However, previous research in Southeast Asia suggests that a decline in health was not universal. This study aimed to provide the first investigation of human health during the intensification of rice agriculture in the large skeletal sample from the prehistoric site of Ban Non Wat, Northeast Thailand (1750-420 b.c.). Health was analysed using two indicators of childhood stress, the prevalence of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH), a measure of early childhood stress, and stature, as a measure of late childhood stress, were collated for 190 adults. Sex-specific diachronic relationships between the prevalence of LEH and stature were explored. For both sexes, initially the prevalence of LEH was found to decrease and then increase over time. Stature remained constant over time for males, although for females stature increased initially, then decreased. Early childhood stress was not significantly correlated with stature in females (P = 0.185), but high levels of LEH were unexpectedly correlated with taller male stature (P = 0.017). Our findings suggest an initial improvement in health during agricultural intensification at this site, likely related to a reduction in physiological perturbations and maintenance of a nutritious diet during this time. The subsequent deterioration in health may reflect geomorphologically and archaeologically indicated variation in environmental conditions and consequential sociocultural changes. We suggest that the sex-differences in the relationship between stature and LEH may relate to the timing of stress and/or catch-up growth.
众多生物考古学研究表明，随着农业集约化程度的提高，生理压力水平和健康状况不佳的情况会增加。然而，此前在东南亚的研究表明，健康状况的下降并非普遍现象。本研究旨在对泰国东北部班诺瓦特史前遗址（公元前1750年至420年）大量骨骼样本中水稻农业集约化过程中的人类健康状况进行首次调查。通过两种儿童压力指标分析健康状况，收集了190名成年人的线性釉质发育不全（LEH）患病率（一种幼儿期压力的衡量指标）和身高（一种儿童后期压力的衡量指标）。探讨了LEH患病率与身高之间特定性别的历时关系。对于两性而言，最初发现LEH患病率随时间下降，然后上升。男性的身高随时间保持不变，而女性的身高最初增加，然后下降。幼儿期压力与女性身高无显著相关性（P = 0.185），但出乎意料的是，高水平的LEH与男性较高的身高相关（P = 0.017）。我们的研究结果表明，该遗址在农业集约化过程中健康状况最初有所改善，这可能与这段时间生理干扰的减少和营养饮食的维持有关。随后健康状况的恶化可能反映了地貌和考古学所表明的环境条件变化以及随之而来的社会文化变化。我们认为，身高与LEH之间关系的性别差异可能与压力发生的时间和/或追赶生长有关。
