Farming

[RickN]

Not quite correct, average lifespan in earlier eras is highly skewed by a high infant and child mortality rate. If you made it past 7 you were good to go.

But regardless.advances in lifespan are primarily due to sanitation, not processed foods. Intact processed food consumption may be decreasing lifespan compared to earlier

By the second half of the 14th century, peasants there were living five to seven years longer than in the previous 50 years. However, the average life expectancy for ducal families in England between 1330 and 1479 generally was only 24 years for men and 33 for women. In Florence, laypeople in the late 1420s could expect to live only 28.5 years (men) and 29.5 years (women).

https://www.historyextra.com/period...e-die-danger-medieval-period-life-expectancy/

 

[HillsideDesolate]

By the second half of the 14th century, peasants there were living five to seven years longer than in the previous 50 years. However, the average life expectancy for ducal families in England between 1330 and 1479 generally was only 24 years for men and 33 for women. In Florence, laypeople in the late 1420s could expect to live only 28.5 years (men) and 29.5 years (women).

https://www.historyextra.com/period...e-die-danger-medieval-period-life-expectancy/

Yes, AVERAGE life expectancy

"Infancy was particularly dangerous during the Middle Ages – mortality was terribly high. Based on surviving written records alone, scholars have estimated that 20–30 per cent of children under seven died, but the actual figure is almost certainly higher." Death during childbirth, often of mother and child also lowers the average.

People in the middle ages commonly lived into "old age" for example Pope Innocent X lived to 80, Charlemagne lived to 71. Also consider that upper classes actually had less healthy diets and less exercise than peasants.

That this article mentions "heresy" as a primary cause of death is dubious to say the least, but we are speaking about one of the most lied about periods in history.

 

[RickN]

Yes, AVERAGE life expectancy

"Infancy was particularly dangerous during the Middle Ages – mortality was terribly high. Based on surviving written records alone, scholars have estimated that 20–30 per cent of children under seven died, but the actual figure is almost certainly higher." Death during childbirth, often of mother and child also lowers the average.

People in the middle ages commonly lived into "old age" for example Pope Innocent X lived to 80, Charlemagne lived to 71. Also consider that upper classes actually had less healthy diets and less exercise than peasants.

That this article mentions "heresy" as a primary cause of death is dubious to say the least, but we are speaking about one of the most lied about periods in history.

Yes childbirth was dangerous, but women still outlived men, and the richer people outlived the peasants according to the medical types. True some did live to what we concider old age but most did not.

In the Middle Ages, the average life span of males born in landholding families in England was 31.3 years and the biggest danger was surviving childhood.2 Once children reached the age of 10, their life expectancy was 32.2 years, and for those who survived to 25, the remaining life expectancy was 23.3 years. Such estimates reflected the life expectancy of adult males from the higher ranks of English society in the Middle Ages,3 and were similar to that computed for monks of the Christ Church in Canterbury during the 15th century.

https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/34/6/1435/707557

 

[Raido Free America]

Increased our life span by about 3 times. Seriously for all the jabs at bug pharma, fast food, etc, etc, etc. Our average life span has gone from over 30 years, to over 90. Now true there is a huge combination of things that have led to that but somehow they all get knocked. Fast food is fine, in moderation. Booze is fine, in moderation. Problem is that people have no willpower or sense of personal responsibility any more.

Remember thru most of human history anyone 50 or older was thought to be old and wise. Now that we live longer we know better.

I agree that moderation is the key in this equation. One factor in the average life span being so short in the past is, infant mortality rate. Up until the development of modern medicine, a family would be concidered lucky if they half the children lived to reached adulthood!

 

[Timmy59]

 

[Johnny]

Increased our life span by about 3 times. Seriously for all the jabs at bug pharma, fast food, etc, etc, etc. Our average life span has gone from over 30 years, to over 90. Now true there is a huge combination of things that have led to that but somehow they all get knocked. Fast food is fine, in moderation. Booze is fine, in moderation. Problem is that people have no willpower or sense of personal responsibility any more.

Remember thru most of human history anyone 50 or older was thought to be old and wise. Now that we live longer we know better.

You better check that current lifespan of over 90 years. It is more like the mid -70’s.

 

[RickN]

You better check that current lifespan of over 90 years. It is more like the mid -70’s.

Yes it has fallen the last few years with Covid, Fentanyl, etc. One of the few times in US history that the life span has decreased.

 

[dennishoddy]

I agree that moderation is the key in this equation. One factor in the average life span being so short in the past is, infant mortality rate. Up until the development of modern medicine, a family would be concidered lucky if they half the children lived to reached adulthood!

Late to this thread, but this statement is true. I know where there are two abandoned cemeteries.
There are headstones that show the birth and death of a child being one day. The row of stones would sometimes show the child and mother dying the same day.
There is a website about Oklahoma abandoned cemeteries out there. I've reported both to them as I found them when hunting. One is on Kaw lake COE property and the other in Grant County.

 

[sh00ter]

They also like to raid Amish for selling milk.

I know a guy who survived the Khmer Rouge. He told me the first thing they did when the got to his village is made them chop down all the crops and kill all the animals...they told them they would get a bullet if they tried to be self-sufficient anymore.

 

[dennishoddy]

I know a guy who survived the Khmer Rouge. He told me the first thing they did when the got to his village is made them chop down all the crops and kill all the animals...they told them they would get a bullet if they tried to be self-sufficient anymore.

How did the Khmer Rouge survive then? The only way to provide food for them was by "taxing" the food so they could move among villages to gain more?
Where did the villager get food if it was all destroyed? Who supplied food to them?