Here are a couple posts questioning the impact of infant mortality on ancient lifespan estimates, http://santafereview.com/chronicle/2011/02/01/ancient-mortalit

Here are a couple posts questioning the impact of infant mortality on ancient lifespan estimates, http://santafereview.com/chronicle/2011/02/01/ancient-mortality-and-cancer/ http://santafereview.com/chronicle/2011/02/01/ancient-mortal..., http://www.wonderquest.com/LifeSpan.htm http://www.wonderquest.com/LifeSpan.htm both referencing this paper, http://www.animalsimulation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36:ageing-through-the-ages&catid=11:published-work&Itemid=9 http://www.animalsimulation.org/index.php?option=com_content.... A few statistics from the paper are the mean lifespans of the Kings of England and Scotland between 1000 and 1600 were about 50. This was also about the mean lifespan of people at court. In a monastic population studied only 5% lived past 45 and excavations of anglo-saxon cemeteries dated at 600-1000 CE found no one older than 45.