Social and Cultural Influences on Weaning Practices

Summary

Much of the research done on weaning practices among ancient societies is directed toward biological aspects of the weaning process. Some researchers have, for example, attempted to identify a ‘natural’ weaning age determined by human primate origins. Surveys of weaning age among modern and ethnohistoric populations, however, demonstrate that weaning age is highly variable across diverse economies and categories of social organization. This pattern (or lack of pattern) suggests that a range of contingent factors impacts weaning practices. This paper will explore economic, social and cultural influences that may affect weaning practices within the context of a localized cultural niche in northwestern Cuba.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Breastfeeding and Weaning Practices in Ancient Populations: A Cross-Cultural View   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16004