Bioarchaeology of Children: Perspectives from Biological and Forensic Anthropology Book

Acknowledgements     x
The bioarchaeology of children     1
Children in archaeology     1
A history of childhood     2
Children in biological anthropology     10
Children in forensic anthropology     13
Summary     19
Fragile bones and shallow graves     20
Introduction     20
Fragile bones?     23
Little people...little things...     26
The marginalised child?     30
Obstetric deaths     33
Summary     37
Age, sex and ancestry     38
Non-adult ageing     38
Sex determination     47
Ancestry     55
Summary     58
Growth and development     60
Introduction     60
Skeletal development and ossification     61
Prenatal and postnatal growth     62
Puberty and the growth spurt     64
Factors affecting growth     66
Growth studies: methods and concerns     68
Interpretations of past growth     74
Bone density     76
Estimations of stature     77
Summary     79
Difficultbirths, precarious lives     81
Introduction     81
Infant mortality rates     81
Reconstructing child mortality     86
Infanticide     87
Summary     96
Little waifs: weaning and dietary stress     97
Introduction     97
Properties of human breastmilk     97
Weaning and infection     99
Ancient feeding practices     100
The osteological evidence     103
Weaning and bone chemistry analysis     115
Specific diseases of malnutrition     119
Summary     132
Non-adult skeletal pathology     133
Introduction     133
Non-specific infections     134
Endocranial lesions     141
Infantile cortical hyperostosis     143
Tuberculosis     146
Congenital syphilis     151
Skeletal pathology and personal identification     159
Summary     162
Trauma in the child     163
Introduction     163
Properties of paediatric trauma     163
Types of fracture     165
Birth trauma     168
Non-adult trauma in the archaeological record     169
Physical child abuse     175
Clinical features of child abuse     176
Child abuse in the archaeological record     181
Summary     183
Future directions     184
Is absence of evidence evidence of absence?     185
Failure to adapt: children as non-survivors     186
Tom, Dick or Harriet? Sexing non-adults     187
The future     188
References     189
Index     248