554 



ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1962 



live to considerable ages. According to John Durand, Assistant Direc- 

 tor in Charge of Population, the United Nations Bureau of Social 

 Affairs, the best basis for making mortality estimates of the Roman 

 period is a study of tombstone inscriptions for males dying between 

 the ages of 15 and 42. This method corrects the exaggeration of years 

 that humans are apt to indulge in, even on tombstones, and allows for 

 the under-representation of children's deaths. On this basis, Durand 

 concludes that life expectancy at birth for the whole population of the 

 Roman Empire was probably only about 25 or 30 years. 



After the year 1000, it appears that population began to increase ; 

 and, between 1000 and 1348, that growth was phenomenal, particularly 

 in northern Europe. The Empire of Charlemagne had already capi- 

 talized on the upward population movement, and stronger govern- 

 ments began to develop in Germany, Scandinavia, and even in Russia. 

 The Crusades spread Christianity throughout the Middle East and 

 brought contact between the Moslem and Christian worlds. 



Then in 1348, the bubonic plague, which seems to have first appeared 

 in the sixth century in Egypt, suddenly erupted in Europe in a more 

 virulent form, taking a frightful toll of lives. Russell states that "the 

 years 1348-1350 saw a very heavy loss of life, 20 to 25 percent in most 

 European countries. The decline continued with later epidemics until 

 the population of about 1400 was near 60 percent of the pre-plague 

 figures. . . ." 



Between 1500 and 1700, far-reaching social, economic, and intellec- 

 tual revolutions began which formed the basis for the modern world. 

 The era of medieval authority was first challenged in northern Italy, at 

 the time of the Renaissance. This was followed by the age of dis- 

 covery, wnth voyages around Africa and to the New World. At the 

 same time, the Reformation set the stage for the revival of intellectual 



Table 2. — Approximate population oj the world and its subdivisions, 1000-1600 



{in millions) 



• China proper, plus Manchuria and Korea, Outer Mongolia. Sinkian?, and Formosa. 

 Source: Reference No. 1 at end of article. 



