Patrones demográficos del antiguo régimen: la estacionalidad de la mortalidad en Alfacar y Víznar de 1618 a 1900

Resumen

This study examines seasonal distribution of the mortality in the villages of Alfacar and Víznar (in Granada, Spain). They are situated in La Vega region, at about 1000 m height, at the foothills of la Alfaguara mountains. A total of 9.268 deaths from both villages between 1618-1900 has been studied in the burials books of the parish archives. The aim of this study is to examine the variability of the patterns of adult and infantile mortality according to monthly distribution. Data have been grouped and categorized with reference to the beginning and the middle of every century. The test of Henry's calculation of seasonal coefficients and a multivariant analysis have been applied to analyse these aggregated data groups. Results show a differential behaviour among both groups and models that changes through the time. Death affects adult population in an imprecise way although winter appears always like an inauspicious season; nevertheless, its pre-eminence and relative important within the year is variable. Children follow more pronounced and unequal models depending on the century. They change progressively from the pattern where morta\ity increases in autumn's-summer with a few occurrence in winter (XVII century), to another one where mortality is prevalent on summer months (XIX century).