...the time when the average (average being the key word) life expectancy of human was 35 years!
Okay, let me start from the start. So the NaBloPoMo theme for December is Zeitgeist, which according to Oxford dictionary means, the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time. Well, I didn't know that. While searching for the meaning of the word, I somehow ended up reading about the variation of life expectancy over the time. And as it turns out, up until the medieval age, the average life expectancy of the human being didn't exceed 35 years. Some site even quote the life expectancy to be about 18 years in stone age.
18 years! Well, child marriage makes sense now though its continuation in this era doesn't (just like most of the traditions of that era). But imagine the norm of living till the age of 18 or, even 35. I mean, almost all our life decision are based on the fact that most probably we will live for at least 60 years. I would have never done a PhD, if I was going to die at 35 now, would I?
Life would have been so different and would have gone by so fast.
P.S.: Talking statistically, the average life expectancy of 35 years didn't mean that none of them ever turned 80, but most of them had an average life span of 35 years. I, personally, don't like the means or averages because they are greatly affected by extremes. For example, in this case, it is possible that high infant mortality rate during child birth (about 75% before industrial revolution) could have driven the average life expectancy to a lower value. I am not sure how did they calculate these averages. I would have preferred the median life expectancy but I couldn't find it anywhere. But its fun to speculate nevertheless.
Okay, let me start from the start. So the NaBloPoMo theme for December is Zeitgeist, which according to Oxford dictionary means, the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time. Well, I didn't know that. While searching for the meaning of the word, I somehow ended up reading about the variation of life expectancy over the time. And as it turns out, up until the medieval age, the average life expectancy of the human being didn't exceed 35 years. Some site even quote the life expectancy to be about 18 years in stone age.
18 years! Well, child marriage makes sense now though its continuation in this era doesn't (just like most of the traditions of that era). But imagine the norm of living till the age of 18 or, even 35. I mean, almost all our life decision are based on the fact that most probably we will live for at least 60 years. I would have never done a PhD, if I was going to die at 35 now, would I?
Life would have been so different and would have gone by so fast.
P.S.: Talking statistically, the average life expectancy of 35 years didn't mean that none of them ever turned 80, but most of them had an average life span of 35 years. I, personally, don't like the means or averages because they are greatly affected by extremes. For example, in this case, it is possible that high infant mortality rate during child birth (about 75% before industrial revolution) could have driven the average life expectancy to a lower value. I am not sure how did they calculate these averages. I would have preferred the median life expectancy but I couldn't find it anywhere. But its fun to speculate nevertheless.
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