“Despite appearances of food shortage, dіѕeаѕe, ⱱіoɩeпсe, and ѕeⱱeгe weather conditions, it seems that, at least for some people, life in Chile between 500-1500 years ago wasn’t that stressful. Lower than expected cortisol levels found in hair have led researchers to suggest that some of the pre-Hispanic natives didn’t get too апxіoᴜѕ. These researchers collected hair samples from 19 mᴜmmіeѕ of San Pedro de Atacama University in the north of Chile. Five of the mᴜmmіeѕ were from the Middle Period (400 to 1000 AD) and the rest from the Late Intermediate Period (1000 to 1400 AD). The researchers measured the capillary concentration of cortisol, “a hormone released in response to stress to real or perceived tһгeаtѕ.””

L?c?ti?n ?? th? sit?s ?n?l?z?? in th? ??c?nt st???. ( Ló??z B????l?s ?t ?l )

H?i? ???ws ?t ? ??t? ?? ????t ?n? c?ntim?t?? ??? m?nth ?n? this ??s???ch is ??li?v?? t? ???vi?? ?n insi?ht int? st??ss l?v?ls ???in? th? l?st m?nths ?? th? in?ivi???ls liv?s. H??m?nn Ni?m????, h??? ?? th? L?????t??? ?? O???nic Ch?mist?? ?t th? F?c?lt? ?? Sci?nc?s ?? th? Univ??sit? ?? Chil? ?n? ?n? ?? th? ??s???ch??s, t?l? Sci?nti?ic Am??ic?n th?t th?i? ??s?lts ??? “?i?????nt ???m wh?t h?? ???n ?ss?m?? s? ???” ????t st??ss in ???-His??nic S??th Am??ic?.

This is n?t t? s?? th?t th? t??m’s ?n?l?sis is ??il ?????. As M?tí?s L??w? , ? Sci?nti?ic Am??ic?n ?????t?? w??t? in his ??ticl?, th??? c??l? ?? “s?m? ?????? ?? ???????ti?n c??s?? ?? ??c?m??siti?n”. B?t in ??s??ns? t? this c?nc??n, Ni?m???? s?i? th?t “th? m?mmi?s’ h?i? ?n? ?th?? ????nic ??m?ins ??? ?xt??m?l? w?ll ???s??v?? ??c??s? ?? th? ??i? S?n P???? ?? At?c?m? ?tm?s?h??? […] An? c??tis?l its?l? is ? ??i?l? st??l? m?l?c?l?.”

H?i? ???m ?n? ?? th? ?l??st m?mmi?s st??i?? ?t th? C??? E?st sit?, n??? S?n P???? ?? At?c?m? in Chil?. ( IIAM-C?th?lic Univ??sit? ?? th? N??th (UCN) )

An?th?? w??nin? ???inst ??n???lizin? th?i? ??t? t? ?th?? ???-His??nic c?mm?niti?s is th? l?w s?m?l? siz?. L?????s M?????z M???in, ? ?i???ch???l??ist ?n? ?x???t in ?nci?nt s?ci?t? ?n? h??lth ?t th? N?ti?n?l Sch??l ?? Anth????l??? ?n? (ENAH) in M?xic?, n?t?? this ???w??ck ?s w?ll. Sh? ?i?, h?w?v?? ???l??? th? ???lic?ti?n ?? n?w t?chni???s t? ?in? ??t this kin? ?? in???m?ti?n.

Th? c????nt ??s???ch ???s ???inst ???vi??s ??s?lts ?n hi?h-st??ss ??in? link?? t? h??sh c?n?iti?ns ??? ???-His??nic ????l?s wh? liv?? in ?n? ????n? th? An??s ???i?n. Emil? W??? ?n? ?th?? ??s???ch??s ???m th? Univ??sit? ?? W?st??n ?s?? simil?? m?th??s in 2009 ?n ? ????? ?? m?mmi?s ???n? in P??? ?n? ?????t?? ?l?v?t?? st??ss l?v?ls. Th?? ?ss?ci?t?? th?i? ??s?lts with h??sh li?? c?n?iti?ns th?t ??? ??li?v?? t? h?v? ???n simil?? t? th?s? ?x???i?nc?? ?? th? Chil??n m?mmi?s ???in? th?i? li??tіm?.

Th? t??m ?? ??s???ch??s ?? w??n th?t th?i? ??s?lts ??? n?t n?c?ss??il? ???lic??l? t? s?????n?in? c?mm?niti?s ???m th? s?m? tіm? ???i??. As th? st???’s l??? ??th??, R?cí? Ló??z B????l?s – ? ?h?sic?l ?nth????l??ist ???m th? Univ??sit? ?? Chil?, s?i? “Th? ?iv??sit? ?? ?nvi??nm?nts ?n? c?lt???l ???c?ss?s ?l?n? th? An??s is s? h?t?????n???s th?t w? m?st ?? c??ti??s in ?x??n?in? ??? ?in?in?s t? ?th?? ???hist??ic s?ci?ti?s in ??? c?ntin?nt.”

A ???lic? ?? th? Pl?m? m?mm? ?n ?is?l?? ?t th? M?s?? N?ci?n?l ?? Hist??i? N?t???l in S?nti???, Chil?. ( J?s?n Q?inn/CC BY SA 3.0 ) Th? Pl?m? m?mm? w?s ??li?v?? t? ?? ? chil? wh? w?s s?c?i?ic??.

Th? ??s?lts ?? th? c????nt st??? m?? ?ls? ?? ?x?m?l?s ?? in?ivi???ls wh? w??? m??? “?s?ch?l??ic?ll? ??sili?nt” th?n ?th??s in th?i? ?wn c?mm?niti?s.  F????, N?stl??, ?n? Ch??n?? ???in? ??sili?nc? ?s “? ???s?n’s ??ilit? t? ????t s?cc?ss??ll? t? ?c?t? st??ss, t???m? ?? m??? ch??nic ???ms ?? ??v??sit?.” In?ivi???ls with hi?h?? ?s?ch?l??ic?l ??sili?nc? ??? s?i? t? ?? m??? “st??ss ??sist?nt” th?n ?th??s.

C??tis?l ?n? ??sili?nc? ??? c?nn?ct?? ?? th? ??ct th?t “R?sili?nc? is ?ss?ci?t?? with th? c???cit? t? c?nst??in st??ss-in??c?? inc???s?s in CRH [C??tic?t???in-??l??sin? h??m?n? – ??l??s?? ?? th? h???th?l?m?s in ??s??ns? t? st??ss] ?n? c??tis?l th????h ?n ?l?????t? n???tiv? ??????ck s?st?m.” Th?s, in?ivi???ls wh? ??? m??? ?s?ch?l??ic?ll? ??sili?nt ?ls? t?n? t? h?v? l?w?? l?v?ls ?? c??tis?l ?s th?i? ???i?s c?n ??tt?? m?n??? th? s?st?m th?t ??l??s?s c??tis?l – st???in? th? ?v???????cti?n ?? th? h??m?n?.

With this in min?, it is int???stin? t? ??int ??t th?t th? c????nt st??? ?ls? c?m????? th? ??t? ???m th?i? “l?ss-st??ss??” m?mmi?s t? th? m????n ????l?ti?n ?n? m??? ? s????isin? ?isc?v???. Acc???in? t? Sci?nti?ic Am??ic?n, th? ??s???ch??s ???n? “th? c?nc?nt??ti?n ?? c??tis?l in th? h?i? ?? 19 h??lth?, n?n-???s? livin? ??si??nts ?? S?nti??? ?? Chil?, ??n?in? ???m 23 t? 55 ????s ?l? w??? simil?? in m????n ?n? in ???hist??ic s?m?l?s.”

“Whil? th? ?nvi??nm?nt?l, t?chn?l??ic?l ?n? h??lth c?n?iti?ns in ?nci?nt tіm?s c??l? ?? c?nsi????? ??st?ictiv? in ??l?ti?n t? th? c?n?iti?ns ?? li?? t????, ??????ntl? th?? ?i? n?t ?lt?? th? l?v?ls ?? s?st?mic st??ss ?? th?s? ????l?ti?ns,” th? ??th??s w??t? in Ch?n????, R?vist? ?? Ant????l??í? Chil?n? . Whil? this is ?n?th?? sm?ll s?m?l? siz?, it ???s ??is? ?n int???stin? ???sti?n: C??l? ?s?ch?l??ic?l ??sili?nc?/? hi?h?? t?l???nc? t? st??ss ??ss ???m ?n? ??n???ti?n t? th? n?xt?

On? ?in?l ??int th?t sh??l? ?? t?k?n int? ?cc??nt is ? n??? t? ????? ???inst ???j?ctin? m????n vi?ws ?c??ss c?lt???s ?n? tіm?. Alth???h m?st ????l? w??l? ????? th?t ? l?ck ?? ????, ?is??s?, vi?l?nc?, ?n? st??n? ?nvi??nm?nt?l ch?n??s w??l? t?k? ? t?ll ?n th?i? ?s?ch?l??ic?l w?ll??in?, th??? is ? (slim?) ch?nc? th?t th?s? ?s??cts m?? n?t ?lw??s ?? s??n ?s h???shi?s, ??t j?st ? w?? ?? li??. H?m?ns c?n ?n? h?v? ????t?? t? ? v??i?t? ?? li?? c?n?iti?ns, wh?’s t? s?? th?t ?v????n? h?s t? l??k ???n th?i? ???s?n?l sit??ti?n in th? s?m? w???

Alth???h th? c????nt st??? ?? c??tis?l l?v?ls in th? ???-His??nic Chil??n m?mmi?s’ h?i? ???s h?v? s?m? ?s??cts th?t n??? t? ?? w??k?? ??t i? it is t? ?? ???li?? t? ??t??? st??i?s, it still ???vi??s s?m? ??t-??-th?-??x thinkin? ????t h?w ??s???ch??s c?n ?? ????t i??nti??in? ?s?ch?l??ic?l h??lth in th? ??st. It ?ls? ??is?s ?xcitin? ???sti?ns ????t ?i?l??ic?l m?m??i?s ?n? th? ??ssi?iliti?s ?? c??ss-??n???ti?n?l ?n? int??c?lt???l ???s?n?lit? t??its ?? ?nci?nt s?ci?ti?s.