The impact of early childhood stressors on later growth in medieval and postmedieval London

Abstract

This research examined the relationship between linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) and stature in medieval and postmedieval London cemeteries to determine whether individuals with LEH in their permanent dentition also exhibited shorter stature. Pathological and metric data for 87 adult individuals from the medieval East Smithfield Black Death cemetery and 136 adult individuals from the postmedieval St. Bride's Lower Churchyard Cemetery were used in this study. A two-way ANOVA, a component of the general linear model (GLM), was run to compare LEH prevalence to maximum femoral length, while accounting for time period and sex. The results showed a significant association in both samples between presence of LEH and femur length in males. The association did not differ between cemeteries, indicating no temporal change in the relationship. Examination of the distribution suggests the association was stronger in males than in females, a possible indication of superior female buffering in these samples. This research provides a look at how environmental stressors in childhood may have permanent effects on growth in past populations while also attempting to better understand how males and females may differ in buffering against episodes of stress.