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How old was she when she died? (back to Reading the Remains) Paleopathologist Nancy Tayles of the University of Otago reports that the bone development, tooth wear, and knitting together of the skull bones indicate that the woman died when she was about 35 years old. Very few people at Khok Phanom Di survived to a greater age. One person died in the late forties, but those who reached adulthood were lucky to reach 30. Many infants died at birth—more than half the human beings found in the earlier phases were newborns. Although there was an abundance of food in the region, residents still had to cope with the dangers of living in a tropical mangrove habitat, with its malaria, intestinal parasites, and other natural hazards. Peru Expedition '96 | Unquiet Mummies | Iceman's Last Meal Reading the Remains | Resources | Teacher's Guide Transcripts | Site Map | Ice Mummies Home Editor's Picks | Previous Sites | Join Us/E-mail | TV/Web Schedule About NOVA | Teachers | Site Map | Shop | Jobs | Search | To print PBS Online | NOVA Online | WGBH © | Updated November 2000 |