Re: [tied] Re: The indo european "race"

Hi John, how you doing.
I just thought it was interesting to note that in Mycenaen times, the
average height of Greeks was about 5'7, while in Classical times they
were about 5'5. Is this less than the decrease in Roman stature from the
6th century to the late Republic?
I wonder to what extent diet was a factor here (among the Greeks.)
Also, I believe Roman stature had increased in the Late Roman period.
And also, you wrote:

- the

> typical Roman soldier was likely to be an unemployed urban dweller,
> runaway slave or a small peasant almost taxed out of existence by
> some rich land-lord. As a person living on a diet of coarse bread,
> lentils and fish paste (garum), stature falls.

This wouldn't apply to all the soldiers would it?
, and I would think to less of an extent among tribunes, consuls and
officers. Although Julius Caesar was about 2 or 3 inches taller than the
average Roman of his day.

take care,
Michael

>
> BCE. By comparison Germans, living in small self-sufficient hamlets
>
> and villages ate much better and had a far healthier lifestyle - and
>
> so were physically so much bigger.
>
> Similar effects could be observed in the British forces of WWI. The
>
> average British tommie from London or Liverpool was much shorter
> than
> the average Aussie or Canuck, from the "bush". Diet operating over
> generations has a huge effect - Japanese, previously very short,
> have
> grown enormously in size to be on average almost European in
> stature.
>
> Its a fairly good way to assess which people have been exploited for
>
> generations - get them to line up! At the start of the Dutch East
> India Company - the average Dutchman was as tall as the average
> Javanese. Since then the Dutch have increased in stature and the
> Javanese have diminished.
>
> Regards
>
> John
>
> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "ghozzis" <ghozzis@...> wrote:
> > Hello!
> > I know that "races" dont exist, and I know that indo-europeans may
>
> > have not been a unique race, but, how to explain the differences
> in
> > physical aspects for example between Italians and Germans? Already
>
> in
> > the Antiquity, Julius Caesar says the Germans are laughing at the
> > Latins because of their small size, and he often call them
> "giants"!
> > How can it be that, if, say, Germans and Latins were a unique
> people
> > for example in 2000 bc that they physical type so rapidally
> differ?
> > So, do you have explanations why it seems that Germans and Latins
> are
> > two populations very far from another genetically, though at the
> time
> > of Caesar they had been separated since only a few thousands
> years.
> >
> > PS: do you know something about the hair colour of indo-europeans?
>
> in
> > the contrary to what I have said previously, many characters in
> latin
> > and greek litterature are blond!
>
>
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