The lifespan of people in the Shanghai (China) region, now famous for the longevity of its citizens, seldom exceeded 30 years in ancient times, according to current archaeological research. A newly discovered 6,000-year-old skull at the Neolithic Songze site belonged to a man of approximately 30 years of age. Huang Xuanpei, an archaeologist at the Shanghai museum, says that analysis of bones from the same period in Shanghai all showed that the ages of people ranged from 20 to 30. The latest find was basically intact, apart from a destroyed nose bridge bone, cheekbones and upper jaw.
     The average life expectancy of the modern Shanghai resident is 79.13 years for men and 83.41 years for women.

Source: www.chinaview.cn (17 May 2004)