Physiological Stress, Health, and Adaptation among Neolithic Populations in the Central Plains of China: A Diachronic Analysis Based on Skeletal Indicators

Rapunzel Yap Jia Ming

The concept of physiological stress is foundational in palaeopathology for interpreting past human behaviour and biocultural adaptation. This study conducts a diachronic quantitative comparative analysis of five skeletal stress indicators from 21 Neolithic populations in the Central Plains of China: enamel hypoplasia, porotic hyperostosis, cribra orbitalia, dental caries, and stature. The results reveal a clear trend of deteriorating health over time, corresponding with shifts and intensification in subsistence strategies. During the early Neolithic period, when hunter‑gatherer and mixed economies predominated, the frequencies of enamel hypoplasia, anaemia‑related indicators, and dental caries were relatively low, suggesting that a diverse diet buffered physiological stress. Stature differences between males and females were generally below 3%, indicating limited gender differentiation. In the middle Neolithic period, with the intensification of agricultural production and dietary changes, the prevalence of dental caries and anaemia‑related indicators increased significantly, while overall stature declined. The sexual dimorphism index widened markedly, reaching nearly 10% at some sites, suggesting increased physiological stress and a growing gendered division of labour. By the late Neolithic period, several stress indicators remained high and male stature declined further, implying that males may have experienced greater physiological stress, while differences between the sexes were less pronounced. Overall, the results support the hypothesis that subsistence transition was associated with increased physiological stress among Neolithic populations in the Central Plains.