title: Urban and rural infant-feeding practices and health in early medieval Central Europe (9th-10th Century, Czech Republic).
abstract: In the Central European context, the 9th and 10th centuries are well known for rapid cultural and societal changes concerning the development of the economic and political structures of states as well as the adoption of Christianity. A bioarchaeological study based on a subadult skeletal series was conducted to tackle the impact of these changes on infant and young child feeding practices and, consequently, their health in both urban and rural populations. Data on growth and frequency of nonspecific stress indicators of a subadult group aged 0-6 years were analyzed. A subsample of 41 individuals was selected for nitrogen and carbon isotope analyses, applying an intra-individual sampling strategy (bone vs. tooth). The isotopic results attest to a mosaic of food behaviors. In the urban sample, some children may have been weaned during their second year of life, while some others may have still been consuming breast milk substantially up to 4-5 years of age. By contrast, data from the rural sample show more homogeneity, with a gradual cessation of breastfeeding starting after the age of 2 years. Several factors are suggested which may have been responsible for applied weaning strategies. There is no evidence that observed weaning strategies affected the level of biological stress which the urban subadult population had to face compared with the rural subadult population.
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Ministère de la culture et de la communication, LAMPEA UMR 7269, 13094, Aix-en-Provence, France; Department of Anthropology, National Museum, Václavské náměstí 68, 11579, Praha 1, Czech Republic; Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 12844, Praha 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Sylva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaupová
authors.forename: Estelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Herrscher
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Velemínský
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cabut
authors.forename: Lumír
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poláček
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brůžek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000366:Age Determination by Teeth; D000885:Anthropology, Physical; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000266:history*; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014070:Tooth / Q000737:chemistry; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014886:Weaning; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes
keywords: Great Moravian Empire; Middle Ages; breastfeeding; morbidity; stable isotopes