The price of urbanization? Biological standard of living in the Near East around the 4th Millennium

While data on food from written records, archaeobotanical and archaeozoological remains, as well as food-related artefacts, informs us on the input of nutrients, biological anthropological data are required if we additionally want to assess the success of alimentary practices and thus test our assumptions about food supply in a community in general or for various subgroups like women or men, age groups or social strata. Important parameters include demographic data such as infant mortality and life expectancy, which in pre-modern times were often linked to malnutrition.