3.3.2 Stature
Estimation of dimensions on the basis of the outer body surface of the Zweeloo body led to an estimated stature of 155 cm (allowing for head and foot damage). Our measurement coincides with that previously provided by Stoddard (1995), who arrived at an overall stature of about 152 cm.
It should be noted that in a sample of 4.995 British women (Board of Trade 1957), 2.438 (49%) were between 141 and 159 cm, so these are not to be viewed as dwarfed statures. Therefore, Zweeloo Woman could be classified as an example of mesomelia. Approximate dimensions of other body measurements obtained for Zweeloo Woman are presented in figure 10.
|
Figure 10 Estimated dimensions of Zweeloo Woman compared with a northern European sample. |
The overall length of the trunk of Zweeloo Woman appears to be close to the British average for 30-44 year olds (Board of Trade 1957). The leg length, however, seems to be shorter (with due allowance for the damaged feet). The interacromion width of the Zweeloo body may be above average, but the waist circumference appears to be slightly smaller than the modern European mean. However, neither difference is significant.
Table 1 Measured lengths of bones (in cm) of Zweeloo Woman | |||
|
Length* in cm |
Length in cm |
Mean | |
|
(RB, DPM) |
(DB) | ||
|
Right humerus |
26.3 |
26.6 |
26.45 |
|
Left humerus |
# |
# |
# |
|
Right radius |
12.1 |
12.5 |
12.3 |
|
Left radius |
11.8 |
12.04 |
12.1 |
|
Right ulna |
# |
# |
# |
|
Left ulna |
12.7 |
13 |
12.82 |
|
Right femur |
32.6 |
(35.5)** |
34.05 |
|
Left femur |
# |
# |
# |
|
Left tibia |
21 |
21.8 |
21.4 |
|
Right fibula |
21.6 |
# |
# |
|
Left fibula |
18.1 |
# |
# |
|
# Fractured bones for which measurement could not be performed | |||
|
* Lenghts defined in Brothwell (1981) | |||
|
** Estimated with curvature corrected | |||
The stature estimated on the basis of the bones of Zweeloo Woman ranges from 130 to 135 cm when the humerus, femur and tibia are included in the calculation, and from 137 cm to 141 cm when the tibia is excluded (Table 2).
Table 2 Stature of Zweeloo Woman estimated on the basis of the bones | ||||
|
Index* |
Minimum |
Maximum |
Mean |
Comparative data× |
|
Humero/radial |
46 |
47 |
46.5 |
76.6 ± 1.8 |
|
Femuro/humeral |
80.1 |
74.4 |
77.7 |
71.2 ± 1.3 |
|
Femuro/tibial |
65.2 |
62.1 |
62.9 |
81.6 ± 1.7 |
|
*Indexes after Martin (1928) | ||||
|
×Mean of 138 central European populations with a total of 14,730 individuals, after Siegmund (2010) | ||||
The Pearson method was considered the most appropriate among the estimation methods, since the employed reference series corresponds most closely to European populations in terms of body proportions (Siegmund 2010, 73-76) and Pearson considers all the long bones in the regression. In contrast, Trotter & Gleser (1952) consider only the tibia, and when the tibia is not available they use the femur. This calculation method would have led to distortions in the case of Zweeloo Woman due to the short length of the tibia and the curvature of the femur.
Comparison with a large dataset of an archaeological population from central Europe contemporary with Zweeloo Woman shows that she was significantly shorter than the mean (153.3 cm) of the female population of this period (Siegmund 2010, 83). With due allowance for the standard deviation and the interquartile range, 96% of the female population of this period ranged from 144.3 to 162.3 cm. Taking into account the bone shrinkage commonly found in bog bodies, the stature of Zweeloo Woman could be considered short, but within normal limits.