Originally Posted by
Ken Cheng
Check this out, from Chinese Historical Microdemography, by Steven Harrell of the Joint Committee on Chinese Studies (U.S.):
"Given what has been reported of elite family behavior in more recent times, it is surprising that so many sons in the Song elite were married 'late,' at twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, than that some were married young, at fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen. Accidental circumstances (especially being orphaned) would have delayed specific marriages. Beyond that, however, certain patterns can be noticed. Late marriage was not common in the Northeast or in the imperial family. Elite men in the Northeast during the Northern Song Dynasty were married early (median age nineteen), with a small age difference between spouses (2.3 years)." (Harrell, 37)
Given that someone marrying at age 24 was considered "late," it seems logical to assume that the expectation was that life expectancy was not expected to extend for many decades beyond age 24. The earliest allowed marriages, according to this excerpt, is fourteen, which for many individuals, is just around the end of puberty and when the reproductive system becomes fully functional. The Tang Dynasty's own reported figures about life expectancy don't match up well with historical and archaeological data found by modern social scientists. Modern historical and archaeological data on Chinese demographics during the pre-Ming era suggest that attaining an age greater than forty in that time and place was truly a fortuitous turn for an individual.