Nagaoka Tomohito, Ishida Hajime, Tsurumoto Toshiyuki, Wakebe Tetsuaki, Saiki Kazunobu, Hirata Kazuaki
Department of Anatomy, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao, Miyamae Ward, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 216-8511, Japan.
Department of Human Biology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Uehara 207, Nishihara-cho, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa, 203-0215, Japan.
Int J Paleopathol. 2019 Sep;26:145-156. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2019.03.005. Epub 2019 Mar 30.
To test the hypothesis that the "Little Ice Age" (LIA) (in Japan, ˜1440 - 1730 CE) co-occurred with unique age-at-death patterns.
810 adult human skeletons from the early Medieval Period (EMP) of Japan, which are contemporaneous with the Medieval Warm Period (10th - mid 13th century AD), and the late Medieval Period (LMP) and Edo Period, which are contemporary with the LIA.
Age at death and sex was determined for each skeleton and demographic profiles of the Yayoi Period (5th century BC - 3rd century AD), EMP, LMP, and Edo site samples were compared. Paleopathological data from previously published reports were evaluated.
The EMP had the highest mortality among young adults. Longevity increased in the samples (LMP and Edo) contemporaneous with the LIA.
EMP early age-at-death was the result of poor community health, violent death, and frequent large-scale natural catastrophes. The LMP and Edo Period samples have an older age-at-death pattern and higher frequency of stress markers, argued to be a consequence of a colder climate.
This study is the first to synthesize paleodemographic and paleopathological data on a large scale to assess the possible effects of the Little Ice Age in Japan.
Varying skeletal preservation and focus on adult skeletons reduces the ability to evaluate health throughout the life span.
Analysis of nonadult remains and multiple health indicators will likely shed more light on the effects of the Little Ice Age in Japan.
验证“小冰期”（在日本，约公元1440 - 1730年）与独特的死亡年龄模式同时出现这一假设。
来自日本中世纪早期（与中世纪暖期（公元10世纪 - 13世纪中叶）同时期）、中世纪晚期和江户时期（与小冰期同时期）的810具成年人类骨骼。
确定每具骨骼的死亡年龄和性别，并比较弥生时代（公元前5世纪 - 公元3世纪）、中世纪早期、中世纪晚期和江户时期遗址样本的人口统计学特征。对先前发表报告中的古病理学数据进行评估。
中世纪早期在年轻成年人中死亡率最高。与小冰期同时期的样本（中世纪晚期和江户时期）的寿命有所增加。
中世纪早期的早死是社区健康状况差、暴力死亡和频繁大规模自然灾害的结果。中世纪晚期和江户时期的样本具有更老的死亡年龄模式和更高频率的压力标志物，据认为这是气候变冷的结果。
本研究首次大规模综合古人口统计学和古病理学数据，以评估小冰期对日本可能产生的影响。
骨骼保存情况各异且专注于成年骨骼，降低了评估整个生命周期健康状况的能力。
对非成年遗骸和多种健康指标的分析可能会更清楚地揭示小冰期对日本的影响。
