Implications of accumulative stress burdens during critical periods of early postnatal life for mortality risk among Guale interred in a colonial era cemetery in Spanish Florida (ca. AD 1605–1680)

• Published in: American journal of physical anthropology 2020-08, Vol.172 (4), p.621-637
• Main Author: Garland, Carey J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 17th century; Adolescent; Adult; Age; Age Determination by Teeth; American Natives - ethnology; Archaeology; bioarchaeology and the DOHaD; Cemeteries; Child; Child, Preschool; Colonialism - history; Cuspid - chemistry; Death & dying; Dental Enamel - pathology; dental histology; Female; First year; Florida - ethnology; Health risks; History, 17th Century; Humans; Life history; Male; Mortality; Mortality - ethnology; Mortality risk; Postpartum period; social inequality; Spain; Spanish colonization; Stress, Physiological - physiology; Teeth; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0002-9483; 1096-8644; 2692-7691
• DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24020

Objective Research situated within the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease demonstrates that stressors are correlated with future mortality risk, especially if experienced frequently and during early periods of postnatal life. This study examines if the developmental timing and frequency of early life stressors influenced mortality risk for Indigenous Guale in Spanish Florida during the 17th century. Materials and Methods The present study examines internal enamel microgrowth disruptions (accentuated lines—AL) from Guale individuals (n = 52) interred at Mission Santa Catalina de Guale on St. Catherines Island, Georgia (AD 1605–1680). Teeth were thin‐sectioned and microscopically analyzed to document AL variables as predictors of age‐at‐death. Results Individuals with AL died earlier than those without AL. This difference, however, was not significant. Individuals who exhibit AL formed during their first year of life died on average three times earlier than those who did not. The frequency of AL and age‐at‐first‐AL are significantly correlated with age‐at‐death, and Cox hazard analyses indicates that individuals with early forming and frequent AL had increased risks of early death. Discussion This study emphasizes how the lived experiences of Guale children shaped demographic patterns during the 17th century. The survival of early life stressors resulted in life history trade‐offs and increased risks for early death. Mortality risks were exacerbated for individuals who experienced frequent stressors during the earliest periods of life. This underscores a role for bioarchaeology in understanding of how accumulative stress burdens during the earliest years of postnatal life may influence mortality risk.