3 2001 Tallest in the World Native Americans of the Great Plains in the Nineteenth Century电子版.pdf

American Economic Association Tallest in the World: Native Americans of the Great Plains in the Nineteenth Century Author(s): Richard H. Steckel and Joseph M. Prince Reviewed work(s): Source: The American Economic Review, Vol. 91, No. 1 (Mar., 2001), pp. 287-294 Published by: American Economic Association Stable URL: /stable/2677910 . Accessed: 12/03/2012 08:50 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . /page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@. American Economic Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The American Economic Review. Tallest in the World:Native Americans of the Great Plains in the Nineteenth Century By RICHARD H. STECKEL AND JOSEPH M. PRINCE* Thenew anthropometrichistoryhasemergedin originally collected by Franz Boas, we show thepastquartercentuiyto shedconsiderablelight thatthe Plains nomadswere tallest in the world on the standardof living or qualityof life in the duringthe mid-nineteenthcentury,a resultcon- past, particularlyin settings where traditional firmedin travelers'accountsandby the skeletal or healthindicators record.The analysis for monetarymeasures arelack- providesa useful mirror ing. Researchin the field is based primarilyon of healthin