It is generally known that the Dutch are tall. However, this has not always been the case. In 2005 Maat published an article tracing back trends in average Dutch male stature. In this article data...Show moreIt is generally known that the Dutch are tall. However, this has not always been the case. In 2005 Maat published an article tracing back trends in average Dutch male stature. In this article data from 21 different samples were included, of which only one came from a rural population. This study introduces a second rural population into the mix. The stature of both the males and females of Klaaskinderkerke is assessed and compared to the available material. In addition the different stature estimation methods are compared to each other. The material consists of 37 individuals excavated in 1959 at the site of the cemetery of the former village Klaaskinderkerke. The cemetery roughly dates to 1100 to 1600 and was hit repeatedly by floods. Sex was estimated, as well as age and stature. There were more males than females (27 males, 9 females, 1 indeterminate), which is difficult to explain. Probably the damage caused by the floods and the excavation technique affected the male-female distribution. The stature estimation method published by Breitinger (1937) yielded significantly different results from the method published by Ousley (1995). Breitinger (1937) differed significantly from all methods where the higher statures were concerned. In the female methods, no significant different results were found. The average stature from the males from Klaaskinderkerke was slightly higher than the average statures from the other sites, except for the site of Maastricht and Scheemde, which both delivered exceptionally tall men. This can be explained by the social background of both populations. When the statures of Klaaskinderkerke were separated based on burial location (inside versus outside church), it was found that these two groups differed significantly in average stature. The average stature from the men within the church compared well to the men from Maastricht and Scheemda, while the average stature from the men outside the church compared well to the men from the only other rural site, Hellevoetsluis.Show less
