When was the last time you saw someone get trampled by a wooly mammoth, or gored by a wild boar? Don't forget, major injuries were probably much more often fatal. That kind of thing brings the numbers down. You know how the average life span has been rising in recent years? Guess what happens if you remove the numbers for reduced infant mortality? Right. These numbers are like that. Are you sure it was rare for that to happen, or was the average low? If it really was rare, were they dying of the "diseases of civilization" (i.e., diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.)? I'd tend to doubt it. Take care, John Pavao ---------- If they were all so healthy why was the life span so short? It was rare for these persons to reach the 40th [forty] birthday?