SC - Size debate

[Gedney, Jeff]

You know, one reason for the rather widespread assumption that people
were smaller in the old days than now, is the plethora of evidence, in
the way of clothing and furniture, from colonial America.

As I see it, these size data may be at least partially explained by the
fact that colonial life was hard, and malnutrition was common,
especially in the young, and their growth, especially during the 1600's
seems to have been stunted, somewhat.
Hard winters were common, and food rationing was a way of life. Perhaps
more so during the "Little Ice Age" and the hundred years or so
afterward.
It is hard to overlook the regular accounts listing a person as a "Giant
of six feet in height". Now, I know quite a few people that tall, and
they do not seem so gigantic. perhaps because they are not the
exception, any more, but more of a norm. 
Unless most of the people you know are 5' 5" or so, and tall persons
rare, Six footers would not cause such a comment. Since they did (or
there would be no reason to remark on the height), one can draw a
reasonable assumption that the median population height was smaller than
it is today. 

Let us be sure that evidence we use to refute such a well documented
claim, ( evidence like the sandals at Hadrians wall, previously
mentioned) are not exceptions.  Just as we have a surprisingly smaller
and larger people today, one must assume that they did then, as well.
They had to be shod, and clothed, just like everybody else. The Romans
certainly recruited Teutonic mercenaries, and must have taken
intimidating size and strength into account when doing so. 

I'll look up the "bog bodies", I have a good book on it at home, but
aside from the many adolescents, and females, I believe they averaged
about 5' 6" ( hard to tell, in a number of cases, since some were
preserved as skin only!, and many were dismembered)

Still, some evidence that is used to support smaller people are in fact,
adaptations to economy.
Low ceilings, for example, probably conserved heat, and were more
frequently a feature of servants areas, like kitchens and pantries,
servants quarters and the like. Formal parlors invariably had higher
ceilings, and were frequently unheated, unless in actual use.

Another complicating factor is the compactness of Mediterranean peoples,
such as southern French and Italians.
Calabrians, for example, tend to be much shorter, on the whole, than
Swedes. 
So we must know where most of these surviving armories and costumes come
from. That is also to be taken into account.

All in all, I am convinced that the average height during the MA was
somewhat smaller than today, but I think not as much as many people make
out the difference to be.


brandu
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