L'age d'Aicha: Difference between revisions

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===Espérance de vie plus courte===
===Espérance de vie plus courte===
Some argue that life expectancy a millenium ago was considerably lower than today, so there was an imperative to start a family at a young age. Critics note that such claims are often exaggerated for these purposes by including infant mortality in the calculation of average lifespans. A study of skeletal remains from the Mexican city of Cholula showed that between 900 to 1500 CE, most people who made it to adulthood went on to live beyond the age of fifty. Another study showed that in medieval England those who reached the age of 25 had an average life expectancy of another 25 years.<ref> Sharon DeWitte [https://www.sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2022/08/conversation-old-age-is-not-a-modern-phenomenon.php Old age isn’t a modern phenomenon – many people lived long enough to grow old in the olden days, too] - University of South Carolina website, 10 August 2022</ref> Both Muhammad and Aisha died in their sixties. Furthermore, critics point out that the risk of maternal and infant mortality was relatively high among girls enduring pregnancy in early adolesence (traditionally, Muhammad commenced intercourse with Aisha when she was nine), while in other cases permanent reproductive damage can be done. Aisha did not bear Muhammad any children.
Certains soutiennent que l’espérance de vie il y a un millénaire était considérablement inférieure à celle d’aujourd’hui et qu’il était donc impératif de fonder une famille à un jeune âge. Les critiques notent que ces affirmations sont souvent exagérées car elles incluent la mortalité infantile dans le calcul de la durée de vie moyenne. Une étude des restes squelettiques de la ville mexicaine de Cholula a montré qu’entre 900 et 1500 EC, la plupart des personnes qui ont atteint l’âge adulte ont vécu au-delà de l’âge de cinquante ans. Une autre étude a montré que dans l’Angleterre médiévale, ceux qui atteignaient l’âge de 25 ans avaient une espérance de vie moyenne supplémentaire de 25 ans.<ref> Sharon DeWitte [https://www.sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2022/08/conversation-old-age-is-not-a-modern-phenomenon.php La vieillesse n'est pas un phénomène moderne - de nombreuses personnes ont vécu suffisamment longtemps pour vieillir aussi dans les temps anciens (en anglais)] - Site de l'université de Caroline du Sud, 10 août 2022</ref> Muhammad et Aicha sont tous les deux morts dans la soixantaine. En outre, les critiques soulignent que le risque de mortalité maternelle et infantile était relativement élevé chez les filles qui tombaient enceintes au début de l'adolescence (traditionnellement, Muhammad a commencé à avoir des relations sexuelles avec Aicha à l'âge de neuf ans), alors que dans d'autres cas, des dommages permanents à la reproduction peuvent être causés. Aicha n'a pas porté d'enfants de Muhammad.


===Earlier puberty and menarchy in the past===
===Ménarche et puberté précoces dans le passé===
Another common argument is that puberty occured earlier in the past or in hot climates. Puberty is a process which takes place over a number of years, while menarchy (first menstruation) is a distinct physiologial event which is the culmination of the anatomical processes of puberty. Apologetic websites typically cite books or articles which mention that the onset of puberty can occur today from as early as the age of eight. An article by Jesse Gamble is commonly quoted for saying that "Menarche affected Paleolithic girls between the ages of 7 to 13".<ref>Jesse Gamble, (2017) "Early Starters: Girls are entering puberty at every younger ages. What are the causes, and should we be worried?", ''Nature'' 550, S10-S11</ref> A journal article by Peter Gluckman and Mark Hanson gives a similar range and is commonly cited for their argument that in the simpler societies of the past, psycho-social maturity was better aligned with the age of physical development.<ref>Gluckman, P. and Hanson, M. (2006) "Evolution, development and timing of puberty", ''Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism'', 17(1)</ref>  
Un autre argument souvent avancé est que la puberté s’est produite plus tôt dans le passé ou dans les climats chauds. La puberté est un processus qui se déroule sur plusieurs années, alors que la ménarche (première menstruation) est un événement physiologique distinct qui est l'aboutissement des processus anatomiques de la puberté. Les sites apologétiques citent généralement des livres ou des articles qui mentionnent que le début de la puberté peut survenir aujourd'hui dès l'âge de huit ans. Un article de Jesse Gamble est souvent cité pour avoir déclaré que "la ménarche affectait les filles âgées de 7 à 13 ans au Paléolithique".<ref>Jesse Gamble, (2017) "Early Starters: Girls are entering puberty at every younger ages. What are the causes, and should we be worried?", ''Nature'' 550, S10-S11</ref> Un article de journal de Peter Gluckman et Mark Hanson donne une fourchette similaire et est souvent cité pour leur argument selon lequel dans les sociétés plus simples du passé, la maturité psychosociale était mieux alignée avec l'âge du développement physique.<ref>Gluckman, P. et Hanson, M. (2006) "Evolution, development and timing of puberty", ''Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism'', 17(1)</ref>  


However, critics have noticed that this is only half the story. The opening sentence of Gluckman and Hanson's paper begins by saying, "The age of menarchy has fallen as child health has improved". The paper explains that menarchy begins ''later'' when childhood health and nutrition is poor, such as in the neolithic period, when as a result of "settlement, childhood disease and postnatal undernutrition became common and therefore the average age of menarchy was delayed" in contrast to the paleolithic hunter-gatherers. In Figure 2 of their paper the authors indicate the likely age ranges of menarchy 20,000 years ago (c. 7-14 years old), 2,000 years ago (c. 10-17 years old), 200 years ago during the industrial revolution (c. 13-18 years old) and today, when it has fallen back down (c. 9-15 years old). The authors argue that "With modern hygiene, nutrition and medicine, these pathological constraints on puberty have been removed and the age of menarchy has fallen to its evolutionarily determined range. But now the complexity of society has increased enormously and psychosocial maturation takes longer." Hadiths narrated by Aisha suggest that her mother struggled to make her gain weight before sending her to live with Muhammad (see {{Ibn Majah||4|29|3324}} and {{Abu Dawud|28|3894}}).
However, critics have noticed that this is only half the story. The opening sentence of Gluckman and Hanson's paper begins by saying, "The age of menarchy has fallen as child health has improved". The paper explains that menarchy begins ''later'' when childhood health and nutrition is poor, such as in the neolithic period, when as a result of "settlement, childhood disease and postnatal undernutrition became common and therefore the average age of menarchy was delayed" in contrast to the paleolithic hunter-gatherers. In Figure 2 of their paper the authors indicate the likely age ranges of menarchy 20,000 years ago (c. 7-14 years old), 2,000 years ago (c. 10-17 years old), 200 years ago during the industrial revolution (c. 13-18 years old) and today, when it has fallen back down (c. 9-15 years old). The authors argue that "With modern hygiene, nutrition and medicine, these pathological constraints on puberty have been removed and the age of menarchy has fallen to its evolutionarily determined range. But now the complexity of society has increased enormously and psychosocial maturation takes longer." Hadiths narrated by Aisha suggest that her mother struggled to make her gain weight before sending her to live with Muhammad (see {{Ibn Majah||4|29|3324}} and {{Abu Dawud|28|3894}}).
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