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Think Everyone Died Young in Ancient Societies? Think Again

posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday July 17 2018, @11:02PM   
from the it's-not-logan's-run dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

People in the past were not all dead by 30. Ancient documents confirm this. In the 24th century BCE, the Egyptian Vizier Ptahhotep wrote verses about the disintegrations of old age. The ancient Greeks classed old age among the divine curses, and their tombstones attest to survival well past 80 years. Ancient artworks and figurines also depict elderly people: stooped, flabby, wrinkled.

This is not the only type of evidence, however. Studies on extant traditional people who live far away from modern medicines and markets, such as Tanzania's Hadza or Brazil's Xilixana Yanomami, have demonstrated that the most likely age at death is far higher than most people assume: it's about 70 years old. One study found that although there are differences in rates of death in various populations and periods, especially with regards to violence, there is a remarkable similarity between the mortality profiles of various traditional peoples.

High infant mortality and inaccuracy at the other end of the age range skew the numbers.

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Original Submission

• Re:Work is what mostly killing people Re:Work is what mostly killing people (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 18 2018, @07:26AM (1 child)

  by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 18 2018, @07:26AM (#708695)

  murderers and other violators are often called Kings, Emperors or Khans.

  Parent

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• Re:Work is what mostly killing people (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 18 2018, @09:04AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 18 2018, @09:04AM (#708713)

  Only if they do it for their work, not for fun.

  Parent