Infant Feeding Practices Within a Bioarchaeology of Care Framework: Investigating Isotopic and Paleopathological Data from a Wari Community (600-1000 CE) in the Peruvian Andes

Author(s): Maya B. Krause

Year: 2025

Summary

This is an abstract from the "(De)Pathologizing the Past: New Perspectives on Intervention and Modification as Care in the Americas" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

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Breastfeeding is a dynamic, embodied process and powerful mediator of maternal and childhood health. Accordingly, this study builds a preliminary understanding of breastfeeding and weaning as an intervention of care. Stuart-Macadam (1995:27) describes breast milk as a “vital, dynamic substance” that can transmit both beneficial (immunoglobulins, nutrients) and harmful (nicotine, alcohol) substances to the infant. We use an anthropological bioarchaeological approach to examine breastfeeding and weaning practices through stable isotope data (δ<sup>15</sup>N from bone collagen and δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>18</sup>O from dental enamel carbonates) and paleopathological evidence. Skeletal remains from Auquimarca (N=104), a Wari-affiliated site (600–1000 CE) in the Andes, indicate that breastfeeding continued until around ages four to five. Elevated δ<sup>18</sup>O values in enamel suggest reliance on breast milk, while changes in δ<sup>13</sup>C levels imply maize as a weaning food. The lower prevalence of developmental lesions at Auquimarca compared to other Middle Horizon sites suggests that prolonged breastfeeding might have protected infants from the risks of weaning. These findings emphasize breastfeeding as an adaptive, cooperative effort during a critical period, providing nutrition and immunity that shields infants from environmental stress and growth-impairing challenges.

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Cite this Record

Infant Feeding Practices Within a Bioarchaeology of Care Framework: Investigating Isotopic and Paleopathological Data from a Wari Community (600-1000 CE) in the Peruvian Andes. Maya B. Krause. Presented at The 90th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. 2025 ( tDAR id: 509110)

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Keywords

General
Bioarchaeology/Skeletal Analysis • Mortuary archaeology • Multi-regional/Comparative

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 53634