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The past v2

Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2017 2:02 pm
by Ian Bee
https://www.theguardian.com/science/201 ... e_btn_link


A very rare confluence of professional interest and leisure interest (at least for the headline).

Re: The past v2

Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:21 pm
by Jill
Thank you Ian - I read about this in today’s Times, under the heading:

‘ Ancient women made rowers look puny ‘

The article stated that ‘ women farmers of prehistoric Europe had about 13% more upper-body strength for their size than a modern elite rower, and 30% more than the average Cambridge undergraduate today. ‘


The article also went on to say that there was ‘ plenty of evidence that Neolithic and Bronze Age men had stronger bones than most of their 21st century counterparts. Their legs in particular were as robust as those of modern cross-country runners until as late as 4th century BC. ‘

Interesting comments from some of the Guardian readership.

Re: The past v2

Posted: Fri Dec 01, 2017 10:24 am
by Ian Bee
I tend to resist reading comments - some might well be interesting reflections, but others rather less so.

I'm dealing with a site where the late Iron Age/Roman population were digging (and maintaining) ditches in excess of 2m wide and 2m deep in claggy clay - no small feat, and in the past have re-excavated Bronze Age round barrow ditches larger than that cut into chalk bedrock. In that context I have no doubt that the Bronze Age population (both sexes) were likely substantially more robust in both arms and legs than a typical modern person.