The bioarchaeology of children : perspectives from biological and forensic anthropology / Mary E. Lewis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lewis, Mary, 1971-

Series:

Cambridge studies in biological and evolutionary anthropology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Paleopathology.

Human remains (Archaeology).

Human skeleton--Analysis.

Human skeleton.

Children, Prehistoric--Anthropometry.

Children, Prehistoric.

Children, Prehistoric--Social conditions--Research.

Social conditions.

Research.

Anthropometry.

Physical Description:

x, 255 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Summary:

This book is the first to be devoted entirely to the study of children's skeletons from archaeological and forensic contexts. It provides an extensive review of the osteological methods and theoretical concepts of their analysis. Non-adult skeletons provide a wealth of information on the physical and social life of the child from their growth, diet and age at death, to factors that expose them to trauma and disease at different stages of their lives. This book covers the factors that affect non-adult skeletal preservation: the assessment of their age, sex and ancestry; growth and development; infant and child mortality including infanticide; weaning ages and disease of dietary deficiency; skeletal pathology; personal identification and exposure to trauma from birth injuries, accidents and child abuse. The Bioarchaeology of Children provides new insights for undergraduates and postgraduates in osteology, palaeopathology and forensic anthropology.

Contents:

1 The bioarchaeology of children 1

1.1 Children in archaeology 1

1.2 A history of childhood 2

1.3 Children in biological anthropology 10

1.4 Children in forensic anthropology 13

2 Fragile bones and shallow graves 20

2.2 Fragile bones? 23

2.3 Little people...little things... 26

2.4 The marginalised child? 30

2.5 Obstetric deaths 33

3 Age, sex and ancestry 38

3.1 Non-adult ageing 38

3.2 Sex determination 47

3.3 Ancestry 55

4 Growth and development 60

4.2 Skeletal development and ossification 61

4.3 Prenatal and postnatal growth 62

4.4 Puberty and the growth spurt 64

4.5 Factors affecting growth 66

4.6 Growth studies: methods and concerns 68

4.7 Interpretations of past growth 74

4.8 Bone density 76

4.9 Estimations of stature 77

5 Difficult births, precarious lives 81

5.2 Infant mortality rates 81

5.3 Reconstructing child mortality 86

5.4 Infanticide 87

6 Little waifs: weaning and dietary stress 97

6.2 Properties of human breastmilk 97

6.3 Weaning and infection 99

6.4 Ancient feeding practices 100

6.5 The osteological evidence 103

6.6 Weaning and bone chemistry analysis 115

6.7 Specific diseases of malnutrition 119

7 Non-adult skeletal pathology 133

7.2 Non-specific infections 134

7.3 Endocranial lesions 141

7.4 Infantile cortical hyperostosis 143

7.5 Tuberculosis 146

7.6 Congenital syphilis 151

7.7 Skeletal pathology and personal identification 159

8 Trauma in the child 163

8.2 Properties of paediatric trauma 163

8.3 Types of fracture 165

8.4 Birth trauma 168

8.5 Non-adult trauma in the archaeological record 169

8.6 Physical child abuse 175

8.7 Clinical features of child abuse 176

8.8 Child abuse in the archaeological record 181

9 Future directions 184

9.1 Is absence of evidence evidence of absence? 185

9.2 Failure to adapt: children as non-survivors 186

9.3 Tom, Dick or Harriet? Sexing non-adults 187

9.4 The future 188.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 189-247) and index.

ISBN:

0521836026

9780521836029

OCLC:

70764837