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Medieval Ancestors Measured Up To Our Height Standards
The Times/British Archaeology ^ | 9-19-2005 | Norman Hammond

Posted on 09/19/2005 3:32:59 PM PDT by blam

September 19, 2005

Notebook: Archeology

Medieval ancestors measured up to our height standards

By Norman Hammond, Archaeology Correspondent

OUR ANCESTORS were as tall as we are, contrary to popular belief. Over the past five millennia the average height of men in Britain has remained stable at about 170cm (5ft 7in), and that of women at 160cm (5ft 3in). We may be surprised at how small the armour worn by the Black Prince or King Henry V was, but such giants on the battlefield were not physically large and were towered over by contemporaries of all classes.

“The enduring myth that people in the past were much shorter than we are today contains a small element of truth,” writes Sebastian Payne, chief scientist at English Heritage, in British Archaeology. “There have been small changes, and average height has increased by an inch or so over the past 50 years,” he says, attributing the increase to better health and nutrition.

The myth seems to stem from such things as low doorways on some medieval houses, and the small suits of clothes and armour in museums. But Dr Payne says that there are plenty of tall doors, and we simply don’t register “normally” sized outfits. “Recruits in 18th and 19th-century military records were considerably below today’s average heights,” he says, but adds: “Recruits are often from poorer families whose average height is less, and were often not fully grown.”

In the abandoned medieval village of Wharram Percy in Yorkshire, the churchyard has yielded hundreds of skeletons for analysis. There “ten-year-olds were around 8in shorter than children today: by the time they were fully grown they were nearly as tall as modern adults”.

A study by Charlotte Roberts and Margaret Cox, drawing together evidence of stature from skeletons across the country, shows that adult heights in both sexes have remained constant since the Neolithic era.

British Archaeology No 84: 51


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ancestors; godsgravesglyphs; height; history; measured; medieval; our; standards; up
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1 posted on 09/19/2005 3:33:01 PM PDT by blam
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To: SunkenCiv

GGG Ping.


2 posted on 09/19/2005 3:33:36 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam

"the average height of men in Britain ....5ft 7in"

I think the warm beer is stunting their growth


3 posted on 09/19/2005 3:37:19 PM PDT by nuconvert (No More Axis of Evil by Christmas ! TLR) [there's a lot of bad people in the pistachio business])
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To: nuconvert

bttt....from a 5'7" guy myself. :)


4 posted on 09/19/2005 3:45:37 PM PDT by Chicos_Bail_Bonds
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To: nuconvert

Wow, I feel like a giant at 5' 8".
{;o)~


5 posted on 09/19/2005 3:49:23 PM PDT by RightWinger
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To: RightWinger

Me too, at 5'9"!


6 posted on 09/19/2005 3:57:12 PM PDT by SuzyQue (Remember to think.)
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To: RightWinger
I feel like a giant at 5' 8".

Beat you, I'm 5' 9". So what would our ancestors say about my father 6' 4" and my cousin who is 6' 6"
7 posted on 09/19/2005 3:58:10 PM PDT by redheadtoo
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To: blam
"and the small suits of clothes and armour in museums."

Most Armor that survived the medieval era would have had to been well taken care of, I.e. Most likely ceremonial and as such smaller then the norm for most armor of it's time. Ceremonial armor tends to be smaller because of cost.

8 posted on 09/19/2005 3:59:10 PM PDT by Post-Neolithic
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To: blam
I believe I read somewhere that Edw. III (father of the Black Prince) was about 6'.

It always amazed me how they could have wielded those huge swords.
9 posted on 09/19/2005 3:59:20 PM PDT by Fruit of the Spirit
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To: RightWinger
Just call me Andre at 5 10 1/2 down from 5 11.

I have trouble buying this. I know far too many of the baby boom generation that are significantly taller than their parents of the WW-II generation, and far too few who are shorter, to believe this completely. (including my brother an I, only one "blood" uncle is about our height, the other earlier generation relatives are shorter) The baby boom also marks the transition from most people living on farms, to most people living in towns or cities with all the changes that brought. I also see the effect in first generation Americans, of most all ethnic groups, the kids are taller than the parents.

Maybe the effect didn't occur in England? Maybe the effect didn't occur in Jolly Olde, or happened much earlier, and they are just short.

10 posted on 09/19/2005 3:59:32 PM PDT by El Gato
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To: blam

Wow, 5'7 is the average? I'm 6'6 and I generally think of guys under 6 ft as being overly short.


11 posted on 09/19/2005 4:01:31 PM PDT by SoDak
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To: SoDak
I'm 6'6 and I generally think of guys under 6 ft as being overly short

When the fight starts remember that I'm on your side.

12 posted on 09/19/2005 4:12:02 PM PDT by MARTIAL MONK
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To: El Gato

I think it's wishful thinking on the part of the author.

Notice this so-called study was done by women? Do they have a bias? LOL

But seriously, go to any museum and see the outfits people wore in history and try making the same claim. Were this true, short shorts made their appearance eons ago, and some outfits would have been like thongs on the wearer.


13 posted on 09/19/2005 4:12:52 PM PDT by Morgan in Denver
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To: nuconvert

"I think the warm beer is stunting their growth"

Do you know why the English drink warm beer?

Because George Lucas also made refrigerators.


14 posted on 09/19/2005 4:14:39 PM PDT by Bar-Face (The Embassy helicopter is warming up.)
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To: Fruit of the Spirit; Xenalyte
It always amazed me how they could have wielded those huge swords.

Ask FReeper Xenalyte.

That's her small sword.

15 posted on 09/19/2005 4:15:31 PM PDT by El Gato
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To: Fruit of the Spirit

Nown to his subjects as Edward Longshanks.


16 posted on 09/19/2005 4:16:20 PM PDT by Kiss Me Hardy
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To: nuconvert

I drink cold beer; 6'3".


17 posted on 09/19/2005 4:17:51 PM PDT by PeteB570
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To: PeteB570

lol. See?! I think there's something to this theory. ;~ )


18 posted on 09/19/2005 4:19:42 PM PDT by nuconvert (No More Axis of Evil by Christmas ! TLR) [there's a lot of bad people in the pistachio business])
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To: nuconvert

I think it is because of the queen, and they should just stop listening to Elton.


19 posted on 09/19/2005 4:20:38 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: SoDak
I generally think of guys under 6 ft as being overly short

So, this here sword will only reach to your neck.

20 posted on 09/19/2005 4:23:02 PM PDT by RightWhale (We in heep dip trubble)
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