Nutrition in a slave population: An anthropological examination

Gibbs, Tyson; Cargill, Kathleen; Lieberman, Leslie Sue; Reitz, Elizabeth J.

doi:10.1080/01459740.1980.9965868

Cited by 34 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It is likely that no single cause of disturbance can be attributed to the pattern of hypoplasia formation. Savitt (1978), Gibbs et al (1980), Kiple and King (1981), Sheridan (1985), and Steckel (1986) have all documented a wide range of environmental, dietary, and disease factors that influenced slave child mortality and growth.…”

Section: Dental Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Traditional historical and economic studies generally did not include physical anthropological findings. The physical and biohistorical aspects of slavery have been approached with traditional sources concerning medical (Savitt, 1978; Sheridan, 19851, dietary (Kiple and King, 1981;Gibbs et al, 1980), and demographic (Fogel, 1984; Steckel, 1979a,b) conditions. The paucity of physical anthropological research in these areas stems from the rarity of skeletal material available for analysis.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Health and disease at a South Carolina plantation: 1840–1870

Rathbun

1987

American J Phys Anthropol

102

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The analysis of 36 human skeletons (eight subadults, 13 males, 15 females) recovered during a cemetery relocation near Charleston, SC, provides data on health and disease for a 19th-century sample of Afro-Americans. The majority of the burials date from 1840-1870. Skeletal analysis verified some historical interpretations. Gender differential in mortality is evident with average age at death for males 35 and females 40 years. Females, besides living longer, had more missing and carious teeth but fewer abscesses. Both genders expressed childhood metabolic stress as indicated by linear enamel hypoplasias. Males, however, had a higher incidence (92%) than did females (70%). Age at occurrence was more widely distributed for females, but ages 2-4 were most critical for both genders. Postcranial indications of recovery from acute stress, Harris lines, occurred more frequently for males (45%) than for females (18%). Anemia, probably both genetic and acquired, was a significant health problem for both genders. Cribra orbitalia appeared in 35% of the adult crania, and 80% of the subadults had orbital lesions. Diplotic expansion of the cranial vault and infection were relatively common in the sample. Skeletal reaction to infections appeared in 69% of the males, 60% of the females, and 80% of the subadults. Skeletal changes associated with demanding physical labor were ubiquitous. The shoulder and hip were especially affected by degenerative changes, the cervical vertebrae frequently expressed osteophytosis, and males show a preponderance of Schmorl herniations and hypertrophy of the ulnar supinator crest. Skeletal trace elements indicate a relatively high exposure to lead, strontium concentrations indicative of a diet high in plant foods, and relatively low zinc and copper concentrations.

show abstract

Section: Dental Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Health and disease at a South Carolina plantation: 1840–1870

Rathbun

1987

American J Phys Anthropol

102

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The increase in population size between 1850 and 1860 was probably due to natural increase and the importation of slaves from other areas in the United States. The U.S. became a leading slave power in the Western Hemisphere because of the natural increase of the slave population (Fogel and Engerman, 1974;Gibbs et al, 1980). However the state of Texas based its economy on a labor force that was imported from other states in the south.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For malaria, the sickle-cell trait, which has a high frequency among Africans, confers a genetic immunity. American slave populations had a high prevalence of hemoglobin variants and red cell enzyme deficiencies which reduced susceptibility to malaria (Livingston, 1958(Livingston, ,1976Gibbs et al, 1980). It is not known if reduced susceptibility to yellow fever is related to genetic immunity or to childhood immunization which provides a lifelong immunity (Brues, 1977).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The age–sex structure of the slave population in Harris County, Texas: 1850 and 1860

Hutchinson¹

1987

American J Phys Anthropol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effect of the slave system on demography can be revealed by examining the age-sex structure of slave populations. The age-sex structure of slaves in Harris County, Texas is investigated using the 1850 and 1860 slave schedules. Median ages for black and mulatto slaves suggest that the population was young. Population pyramids exhibit a narrow base and top with a broad middle. The high proportion of slaves between 10 and 30 years of age and the increase in population size between 1850 and 1860 were mainly related to the importation of slaves and only partly due to natural increase. The data also show that black slaves were older on small plantations while mulattoes were older on larger farms. It is suggested that differential treatment in terms of purchase practices, assignment of tasks, food allocation, and/or differential susceptibility to infectious diseases may account for this pattern.

show abstract

“…This condition is debili tating and can be life threatening (Aufderheide and Rodríguez-Martín 1998:348). In its het erozygous form, however, only a portion of the cells are sickle-shaped, which confers some immunity to several forms of malaria (Gibbs et al 1980;Kiple and King 1981;Savitt 1988), although a milder form of anemia can result. As a consequence, skeletal manifestations simi lar to iron-deficiency anemia may arise, and the two are not always easily distinguishable from one another (Aufderheide and Rodríguez-Martín 1998:348).…”

Section: Porotic Hyperostosis and Cribra Orbitaliamentioning

confidence: 99%