The Relationship between Mortality Pattern and the State of Health of the Early Medieval Population from Žatec

Mgr. V. Černý, PhD. (B9002001) 2000-2002

The project aim at the study of paleodemography and paleopathology of anthropological material recovered by archaeological excavation of two Žatec cemeteries dated to 11.-13. and 13.-15. century AD. The specific relationship between the mortality pattern and the state of health is investigated. We would like to contribute to the question of higher mortality of young female population indicated in some Middle Age and prehistoric samples. We test the extend to which the different methods can influence the mortality profile of the population in question. At the same time, we deal with the question of child mortality, however, not in relation with calendar's age of death but in direct link of their physical or skeletal appearance. We try to apply this approach also to the skeletons of adults. The demographic history of Žatec population is confronted with the social and economical changes, which can be obtained from historical documents.