Bioarchaeology of Childhood

Abstract

The bioarchaeology of childhood is the study of the skeletal remains of the youngest members of past societies. This field has gained significant traction over the past three decades, with early work initially focusing on the representativeness of infants and children in skeletal samples, and on infants and children as sensitive indicators of the systemic stress experienced by their broader communities. Current theoretical and methodological developments are focused on conceptualizing infants' and children's lives and health as being intertwined with those of their carers, and exploring how health is mediated through intersecting aspects of their identity.