The Roman Empire’s integrated economy also integrated pathogens, depressing average health and productivity. Bioarchaeological data on adult long-bone lengths decline from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD, then recover after the 5th century, consistent with a 'first integrated disease regime.'
— It reframes globalization as a health trade‑off that can sap human capital, informing current debates on integration versus resilience.
Davide Piffer
2025.09.10
30% relevant
Both pieces address Rome’s scale and uniqueness: the existing idea ties Rome’s integrated economy to health costs, while this article proposes a metric to quantify the empire’s outlier expansion; together they encourage more rigorous, comparative analysis of what made Rome distinctive.
Jane Psmith
2025.08.25
40% relevant
Both accounts show how large-scale political integration standardizes and spreads more than goods—Rome integrated pathogens, while Laudan’s frame (as presented in the review) shows empires integrating and reshaping cuisines (e.g., Mongol-era dumpling diffusion, British curry).
Isegoria
2025.08.14
100% relevant
“Length of long bones belonging to over 10,000 adults… steady decrease… dramatic recovery” and the authors’ 'first integrated disease regime' claim.