Disease and Mortality at the Anderson Village Site

Abstract

Skeletal remains from the Anderson Village site provided information on mortality patterns in one of Ohio's early American Indian groups. At birth, life expectancy for the Anderson population was approximately 33 years, with a mean age at death of 6.6 years for the sub-adults (<15 years of age), 39 for the adult males, and 38 for the adult females. The highest age specific mortality rate for the subadults occurred in the age class 5 to 9.9 years (6.8%), while for the adults it was in the age class 40 to 44.9 years (15.9%). Although there were variations between male and female mortality rates, none of the observed differences were statistically significant. For the subadults, adult males, and adult females, mortality was significantly associated (P<.()()1) with infectious disease with 81.8% of the population displaying some lesions. For sub-adults and adult females, mortality was significantly associated (P<.()01) with the occurrence of both infectious disease and porotic hyperostosis with 80% of the sub-adults and females displaying both lesions. It appears that infectious disease may have contributed, to mortality of sub-adults, males, and females; whereas, the interaction of infectious disease and porotic hyperostosis may have had its most serious impact on sub-adults and females.