Influence of early life environment on later life mortality in catastrophic and non-catastrophic medieval skeletal series from Kutná Hora-Sedlec (Czech Republic, 13th-16th century)

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine whether the early life environment, broadly characterized by adult lower-limb long bone metrics, is related to later mortality under normal and catastrophic conditions. MATERIALS: The sample for the study was composed of adult human skeletal remains excavated from a medieval cemetery from the 13th to 16th century in Kutná Hora-Sedlec (Czech Republic) (n = 390) under catastrophic (n = 242) and non-catastrophic (n = 148) contexts. METHODS: We collected combined femoral-tibial lengths as a proxy for stature and vertical femoral head breadths as a proxy for body mass. Two-way ANOVA was used to evaluate the effects of the age at death and context of burial on sex-disaggregated osteometric variables. RESULTS: The results showed (1) significant associations between the burial context and both variables in males (shorter lengths/breadths in the catastrophic group), and (2) interaction between the age at death, and the burial context and both variables in females (shorter lengths/breadths were observed among young women who had died during catastrophes). CONCLUSIONS: Adverse living conditions during the growth period could result in reduced resistance to famine/pathogens, and a shorter lifespan in adulthood. SIGNIFICANCE: The results of this study contribute to the growing body of research on long bone metrics as a cumulative measure of health and welfare during growth and on the importance of optimal growth conditions for longevity and resilience. LIMITATIONS: We merged two mortality crises, the nature of which has not yet been fully determined, in the catastrophic dataset. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH: Following assignment of mass graves in the future, comparisons should be made between the first and second mortality crises.