Diachronic shifts in biological parameters from prehistory to modernity in Barcelona

Bibliographic Data

ID19226980
AuthorsAntony Cevallos (0000-0001-8754-1712, Universitat Rovira i Virgili), Carme Rissech (0000-0002-1014-8813, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume18
Issue6
Publication date2026-05-28
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueArchaeological and Anthropological Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1866-9557 • E-ISSN: 1866-9565
PublisherSpringer Nature (PUBLISHER • SG)
DOI10.1007/s12520-026-02504-7
OpenAlexW7162487320
LanguageEN
References cited98

The present study analyzes the biological parameters of life expectancy at birth (LE), stature (ST), body mass (BM), and body mass index (BMI) in the population of Barcelona from Prehistory through to the Modern period. The objective is to assess whether these biological parameters exhibit measurable diachronic shifts corresponding to sociocultural and environmental change. Skeletal remains were analyzed using standard anthropological methods. Sex-related differences were evaluated using Student’s t-tests or Mann–Whitney U tests, depending on data distribution, while temporal trends were assessed through one-way ANOVA. The sample comprises 1,090 individuals: 297 non-adults and 793 adults (258 males, 244 females, and 291 of undetermined sex). Results indicate that LE remained relatively almost stable across most periods, ranging from 21 to 27 years, with a marked increase during the Modern period. ST showed no significant diachronic variation, with male averages ranging between 164 and 166 cm and female averages between 151 and 154 cm. Notably, underweight and obese classifications emerged in more recent periods, suggesting that biological outcomes were influenced by socio-environmental and historical contexts. By integrating multiple biological indicators, this study offers a comprehensive assessment of human adaptation in Barcelona over almost seven millennia. Despite potential sampling limitations, it provides a valuable reference framework for future diachronic bioarchaeological research in the Iberian Peninsula and contributes to a broader discussion on the relationship between human biology, environment, and history. This study represents the largest sample and the broadest chronological range analyzed in the Iberian Peninsula to date

Biological anthropology · Life expectancy · Modernity · Peninsula · Population · Prehistory · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Paleopathology and ancient diseases