Weaning process and subadult diets in a monumental Brazilian shellmound

Pezo‐Lanfranco, Luis; DeBlasis, Paulo; Eggers, Sabine

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2018.04.025

Cited by 12 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 99 publications

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“…The site of Jabuticabeira II exemplifies this controversy: despite the CBR observed, there are demographic estimates indicating more than 40,000 individuals buried under the shells along the 800 yr of occupation in this settlement . Although this may be an overestimate, indirect data (osteological evidence of communicable diseases, such as treponematoses, unspecified infections, and other osteological health indicators ; and ages of end of weaning around 2.3 yr also suggest that this site accommodated a growing population.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘One tooth one child’: evaluating the effects of diet and fertility on the oral health of women from archaeological sites in South America

Carvalho

Pezo‐Lanfranco

Eggers

2018

European J Oral Sciences

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Women from ancient societies have shown a higher prevalence of dental caries in comparison with men. Recent research has shown that the relationship between increased oestrogen production during pregnancy and decreased salivary flow is a possible cause for the higher levels of caries in women, which is in contrast to the traditional view of sexual division of labour resulting in unequal access to cariogenic food. In order to test these two hypotheses, individuals exhumed from 12 South American archaeological sites were examined for markers of oral health (caries, ante mortem tooth loss, deep caries, and enamel hypoplasia) and compared in terms of fertility (Crude Birth Rate) and subsistence systems. Our results suggest that diet and other cultural practices remain the most important factors affecting oral health and that the effects of hormones can be masked by them. Such findings add to the discussion regarding the availability of micronutrients in such societies affecting caries experience in pregnant women, because of their special nutritional requirements.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘One tooth one child’: evaluating the effects of diet and fertility on the oral health of women from archaeological sites in South America

Carvalho

Pezo‐Lanfranco

Eggers

2018

European J Oral Sciences

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“…As in the case of other archaeological contexts, this collection is seriously compromised by taphonomic damage. Due to the high degree of bone fragmentation, only 41 individuals (adults and juveniles), from a total of 282 evaluated records, met the following inclusion criteria: a) one or more long bones in good condition for measurements; b) availability of alveolar bone and teeth in order to assess dental age, enamel hypoplasia, and maxillary infections; c) previously studied isotopic values that allow for the evaluation of the weaning age and/or infant/adult diet estimations [87]. Because the focus of this work is child development, the first criterion was imperative.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These studies revealed an age range of weaning between 2 and 3 years (most likely 2.3 years old). According to those studies child diet was similar to adult diet, both concerning broad items as well as proportions, from around the age of 1.5 years on [87]. Breastfeeding and the approximate ages at the start and end of weaning were inferred from δ 15 N and δ 13 C values for each individual (S1 File).…”

Section: Weaning and Infant Malnutritionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These markers include adult and juvenile height, linear enamel hypoplasias, cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, periosteal reactions, and age-at-death. Finally, data from our earlier isotopic weaning study are used herein to evaluate the implications of nutrition during juvenile ages on morbidity [87].…”

Section: Aims and Expectationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The dietary data from Jabuticabeira II (approximate ages at the beginning and the end of weaning, supplementary and post-weaning diets) originates from nitrogen and carbon isotope values of dentin sections from adults, and bones from juveniles previously published [27,87]. These studies revealed an age range of weaning between 2 and 3 years (most likely 2.3 years old).…”

Section: Weaning and Infant Malnutritionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Child development, physiological stress and survival expectancy in prehistoric fisher-hunter-gatherers from the Jabuticabeira II shell mound, South Coast of Brazil

et al. 2020

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In this study, we shed light on the interdependency of child growth, morbidity and life expectancy in the fisher-hunter-gatherers of the Jabuticabeira II shell mound (1214-830 cal B.C. E. -118-413 cal C.E.) located at the South Coast of Brazil. We test the underlying causes of heterogeneity in frailty and selective mortality in a population that inhabits a plentiful environment in sedentary settlements. We reconstruct osteobiographies of 41 individuals (23 adults and 18 subadults) using 8 variables, including age-at-death, stature, non-specific stress markers (cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, periosteal reactions, periapical lesions and linear enamel hypoplasia), as well as weaning patterns based on stable isotope data to examine how stress factors module growth and survival. Our results show that shorter adult statures were linked to higher morbidity around weaning age and higher chances of dying earlier (before 35 years) than taller adult statures. In addition, short juvenile stature was related to physiological stressors and mortality. The adult "survivors" experienced recurrent periods of morbidity during childhood and adulthood, possibly associated with the high parasite load of the ecosystem and dense settlement rather than to malnourishment. An association between early-stress exposure and premature death was not demonstrated in our sample. To explain our data, we propose a new model called "intermittent stress of low lethality". According to this model, individuals are exposed to recurrent stress during the juvenile and adult stages of life, and, nevertheless survive until reproductive age or later with relative success.

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Breastfeeding and weaning in Late Holocene hunter‐gatherers of the lower Paraná wetland, South America

Loponte

Mazza

2021

American J Phys Anthropol

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Objective In this study, we analyze breastfeeding and weaning practices in pre‐Columbian complex hunter‐gatherers from the lower Paraná River basin (South America). Materials and Methods We carried out bone isotope analyses concerning δ13C in collagen and apatite, the spacing between both carbon sources and δ15N in a sample of 23 subadult and adult individuals of both sexes recovered from Late Holocene archaeological sites, ranging from 1665 ± 45 to 680 ± 80 14C years BP. Results and Discussion The results indicate that exclusive breastfeeding continued until the age of ~2 years, and weaning probably until 4 years of age. Supplementary foods included C3 plants and probably animal fats and C4 carbohydrates. A high fractionation of 4.9‰ in δ15N values was recognized between breastfeeding infants and adult females, perhaps reflecting episodic hyper‐protein diets in women linked to men's food provisioning during women's gestational/postpartum period. Additionally, male adults present a higher protein intake than females. Although this difference is not statistically significant with the current sample size, it could be a clue related to a sexual division in food procurement.

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Weaning process and subadult diets in a monumental Brazilian shellmound

Cited by 12 publications

References 99 publications

‘One tooth one child’: evaluating the effects of diet and fertility on the oral health of women from archaeological sites in South America

‘One tooth one child’: evaluating the effects of diet and fertility on the oral health of women from archaeological sites in South America

Child development, physiological stress and survival expectancy in prehistoric fisher-hunter-gatherers from the Jabuticabeira II shell mound, South Coast of Brazil

Breastfeeding and weaning in Late Holocene hunter‐gatherers of the lower Paraná wetland, South America

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