New Prospects for Investigating Early Life-Course Experiences and Health in Archaeological Fetal, Perinatal and Infant Individuals

Abstract

Children have become firmly embedded within multidisciplinary investigations of young lives, yet within these studies, the youngest members of past populations persist in lingering on the margins of discussion. Fetal, perinatal and infant lives are tangential; unable to articulate their thoughts and feelings, with their position and role in society typically a product of parental or wider social vectors, these individuals, their experiences, and their roles are complex to decipher. Yet as keepers of both biological and social dataregarding themselves, their mothers and wider community dynamicsthese individuals are central in developing comprehensive narratives of infanthood in the past. However, a lack of methodologies for investigating these young lives has been a constant limitation. With recent advancements able to further our understanding of these early life courses, it is now pertinent to focus on fetal, perinatal and infant lives further.

Compromised health: Examining growth and health in a late antique Roman infant and child cemetery

“…Moreover, the Kruskal-Wallis Test for Independence indicates that median values of dental age-at-death are not different between samples (X 2 = 0.51; df = 1; p = 0.4754), enabling comparative analyses of growth disruption and stress experience (Figure 3). (Buikstra, 2019;Hodson, 2018;Lewis, 2004Lewis, , 2018Ortner, 2003). distribution of femoral lengths is different between the two samples (X 2 = 19.247, df = 1, p < 0.001).…”

“…It specifically focuses on the impact of early life adverse experiences and environmental, social, and cultural stressors on short‐ and long‐term health outcomes (Barker et al, 2002; Gluckman & Hanson, 2007; Kuzawa, 2005; Wells, 2009). Research on the past lives of fetal, perinatal, and infant individuals has only recently generated interest in bioarchaeology (Hodson, 2021; Morrone et al, 2021). Because juveniles, especially infants, are the most biologically and socially vulnerable members of any population, research in this domain contributes to dialog concerning relationships between human biology and economic, social, and political conditions as well as diverse environmental circumstances throughout time (Gowland, 2018; Humphrey & King, 2000; Sandberg & Van Gerven, 2016).…”

“…It specifically focuses on the impact of early life adverse experiences and environmental, social, and cultural stressors on shortand long-term health outcomes (Barker et al, 2002;Gluckman & Hanson, 2007;Kuzawa, 2005;Wells, 2009). Research on the past lives of fetal, perinatal, and infant individuals has only recently generated interest in bioarchaeology (Hodson, 2021;Morrone et al, 2021).…”

Biological mortality bias in diaphyseal growth of contemporary children: Implications for paleoauxology

“…difficult to fully integrate into paleoauxological analyses (Blake, 2017;Halcrow et al, 2017;Hodson, 2021). There is some disagreement as to whether very young infants are underenumerated in skeletal samples, whether due to differential diagenesis, excavation biases, or cultural burial practices (Fisk, 2018;Fisk et al, 2019;Halcrow et al, 2017;O'Neill, 2020;Saunders & Barrans, 1999).…”

“…However, in archaeological applications, this difference may or may not be meaningful. Despite their high mortality rates relative to other age groups, fetal, and perinatal remains have been notoriously difficult to fully integrate into paleoauxological analyses (Blake, 2017 ; Halcrow et al, 2017 ; Hodson, 2021 ). There is some disagreement as to whether very young infants are underenumerated in skeletal samples, whether due to differential diagenesis, excavation biases, or cultural burial practices (Fisk, 2018 ; Fisk et al, 2019 ; Halcrow et al, 2017 ; O'Neill, 2020 ; Saunders & Barrans, 1999 ).…”