Subadult Growth Velocity at Paquime, Chihuahua, Mexico

Summary

This is an abstract from the "25 Years in the Casas Grandes Region: Celebrating Mexico–U.S. Collaboration in the Gran Chichimeca" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Patterns of growth attainment are sensitive bioarchaeological indicators of sub-adult health. Growth velocity can be used to identify periods of stunting, and corresponding periods of rapid catch-up growth. In this study, we use femoral length to examine sub-adult growth at the prehispanic site of Paquimé. We conduct two analyses. First, we compare growth to modern growth curves, to identify periods of growth faltering. We then compare the results to Mimbres and Puebloan growth curves to identify patterns of stress unique to Paquimé. The results suggest that Paquimeños adolescents consistently experienced growth stunting, and that this pattern is marked after approximately 7 years of age. While our sample sizes for metric analyses are small, this pattern of stunting appears to be distinct from patterns of growth seen elsewhere in the Southwest. We discuss our results in the context of Paquimé social and ritual organization.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• 25 Years in the Casas Grandes Region: Celebrating Mexico–U.S. Collaboration in the Gran Chichimeca   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25148