The Health and Welfare of Children in the Past
Part of: Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)
This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "The Health and Welfare of Children in the Past," at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.
The study of children and childhood in the past has been of increasing interest to archaeologists over the past 20 years. Previously deemed to be invisible, theoretical and methodological advances mean the experiences, actions and physical remains of children are being studied to enrich our comprehension of past peoples. Exploring issues of health and welfare is a pathway to understanding not only the lives of children, but also, the world they inhabited. Changing social practices, political priorities, economic developments, environmental factors, and new technologies have all impacted on children’s health and welfare throughout the past. In turn, the life experiences of children shape the world they create as adults. This session will explore the archaeology and bioarchaeology of children from all time periods. Papers are invited which consider a variety of themes, including but not limited to, childhood health and disease, the care of children in the home, the welfare of children in the work place, and community and institutional roles in how and by whom children were cared for.
Other Keywords
Gender and Childhood •
Bioarchaeology/Skeletal Analysis •
Historic •
Mortuary Analysis •
Stable Isotopes •
stable isotope analysis •
Neolithic •
Bronze Age •
Hospitals •
Ethnohistory/History
Geographic Keywords
Isle of Man (Country) •
Kingdom of Sweden (Country) •
Kingdom of Norway (Country) •
French Republic (Country) •
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Nort (Country) •
Ireland (Country) •
Kingdom of Belgium (Country) •
Bailiwick of Guernsey (Country) •
Faroe Islands (Country) •
Principality of Monaco (Country)
Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-6 of 6)
- Documents (6)
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All in a Day’s Work: The Health and Welfare of Children Living in 19th Century Staffordshire, UK (2019)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "The Health and Welfare of Children in the Past" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Children played a key role in coal mining and the pottery industry in 19th century Staffordshire (UK). The number of children that worked in this region during the study period fluctuated between 13% and 33%, and one fifth of the workforce comprised of 5-14 year olds. Long working hours and hazardous conditions had a detrimental effect on...
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The 'Bitter' Death of Children: Health, Welfare and the Funerary Treatment of Infants and Young Children in Christian Anglo-Saxon Cemeteries (2019)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "The Health and Welfare of Children in the Past" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. This paper will discuss the burials of infants and young children in the earliest Christian cemeteries in Anglo-Saxon England (10th and 11th centuries CE). While in earlier pagan periods the burials of the very youngest members of communities are conspicuous by their paucity, the earliest Christian cemeteries have a much more representative...
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Children of Privilege: Infant Mortuary Practices at Late Postclassical Tamtoc Society (2019)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "The Health and Welfare of Children in the Past" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Funerary practices identified in the Architectural Funerary Complex of La Noria in Tamtoc, SLP, have been interpreted as belonging to a space used to symbolize the social and possibly political importance of the individuals who were buried there during the Late Postclassical period (1350-1521 a. P.). Most of the burials correspond to...
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Early Childhood Diet during the Bronze Age Eastern Zhou Dynasty (China): Evidence from Stable Isotope Analysis (2019)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "The Health and Welfare of Children in the Past" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Diet and health are deeply intertwined, and childhood is a critical period where nutrition can have significant short- and long-term effects on the growing individual. Breastfeeding, weaning, and childhood dietary habits are culturally-mediated practices, and how a developing body is fed is a critical cultural experience with biological...
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An Exploration of the Demographics of Non-Adults in Medieval Hospital Cemeteries in England (AD 1050-1600). (2019)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "The Health and Welfare of Children in the Past" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. During the medieval period (AD 1050-1600) in England, hospitals were associated with the Church and most were governed by Church rule. Distinct types of hospitals were founded: leper hospitals, general infirmaries, and alms houses. These sites provided care, shelter, and spiritual nourishment for those in need. Many hospitals had admission...
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From the Mouths of Babes: Weaning, Diet, and Stress in Neolithic Northern Vietnam (2019)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "The Health and Welfare of Children in the Past" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The Neolithic agricultural transition has been found to have a negative effect on human health in many parts of the world. However, numerous bioarchaeological studies in Southeast Asia have shown a different pattern of health changes. Changing weaning practices have been argued to have major effects on population health and fertility around...