Original scientific paper
Natural Population Trends in Komin At the End of the Eighteenth and in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century
Maja Šunjić
Abstract
The article analyzes natural population trends in Komin in the Neretva Delta at the end of the eighteenth and in the first half of the nineteenth century, based on the data from birth, marriage and death registers as well as from the Status Animarum of the Komin-Rogotin parish. Apart from nuptiality, natality and mortality, the article also focuses on the seasonal variations in marriage, conception and birth, day of marriage, remarriage etc. Being a small, patriarchal community, Komin shows no tendency towards illicit and unacceptable sexual behaviour (less than 2% of illegitimate births). Remarriage of widows and widowers is not common, although remarriage was looked upon as a more acceptable solution for men rather than women (short remarriage interval due to the care of children). The fact that age at marriage was lower in Komin than in the Dubrovnik region and in Dalmatia of the time indicates that the process of demographic transition had not yet reached its peak in the Neretva Delta. The process is merely suggested by the population age structure marked by a smaller portion of infant deaths and a somewhat larger number of inhabitants over 70 (10 % of the population). Although the seasonal conception pattern fits into the overall regional pattern, the specificity of Komin is a small number of conceptions in the winter months of December and January.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
85363
URI
Publication date:
10.7.2012.
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