Dying Young: A Bioarchaeological Analysis of Child Health in Roman Britain

Description

Dying Young explores childhood morbidity and mortality during the 1st to 5th century AD. The detailed osteological analysis of 953 non-adult (0 - 17 years) skeletons from 15 sites paints a rich picture of the lived realities of Romano-British children in towns and settlements of the countryside. Health and disease are examined under the themes of infant mortality, growth, diet, working lives, infection, access to resources and exploitation. Skeletal evidence indicates higher status of the urban population, which is in stark contrast to nutritional stress and a tough living environment in the countryside. The data suggests exploitation of the rural indigenous population, as well as rural-to-urban migration of adolescents, potentially in the search of work. Patterns in Romano-British childhood health are considered in context by comparison with similar studies for Iron Age and post-medieval periods. This volume highlights the importance of skeletons, particularly those of non-adults, as a multi-faceted resource for understanding the forgotten and marginalised people of Roman Britain. Cover Title page Copyright Archaeology of Roman Britain Title in the Archaeology of Roman Britain Subseries Of related interest Acknowledgements Table of Contents List of figures List of tables Abstract 1. Introduction 2. The Archaeology of Childhood 2.1. Children in social archaeology 2.1.1. Childhood theory in social archaeology 2.1.2. Children as entities in the archaeological record 2.1.3. The archaeological visibility of socialisation and development 2.1.4. Children in the burial record 2.1.5. The archaeology of Romano-British child burials 2.2. Potentials of non-adult bioarchaeology 2.2.1. Theoretical considerations 2.2.2. Issues of preservation 2.2.3. Age and the concept of childhood 2.2.4. Sex determination 2.2.5. Growth 2.2.6. Non-adult palaeopathology 2.2.6.1. Enamel hypoplasia 2.2.6.2. Infectious disease 2.2.6.2.1. Endocranial lesions 2.2.6.2.2. Non-specific infection: periostitis, osteitis and osteomyelitis 2.2.6.2.3. Tuberculosis 2.2.6.3. Metabolic disease and nutritional stress 2.2.6.3.1. Cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis 2.2.6.3.2. Vitamin D deficiency (rickets/osteomalacia) 2.2.6.3.3. Vitamin C deficiency (scurvy) 2.2.6.3.4. Acquired anaemia 2.2.6.5. Trauma 2.2.7. Weaning stress 2.3. Roman Britons or British Romans? 3. Childhood Health in Roman Britain 3.1. The palaeopathology of Romano-British children 3.2. The classical perspective: evidence for childhood health from rome 3.2.1. The family: a child’s environment 3.2.2. Stages in the Roman life course 3.2.3. Childcare practices 3.2.4. Play 3.2.5. Dying young 3.4. INFANTICIDE? 3.5. Enslavement and forced labour in Roman Britain 3.6. Summary 4. Materials and Methods 4.1. Materials 4.1.1. Introduction 4.1.2. Defining urban and rural settlement types 4.1.3. The major urban sites 4.1.3.1. Poundbury Camp, Dorchester, Dorset (3rd-5th century AD) 4.1.3.2. Butt Road, Colchester, Essex (4th-5th century AD) 4.1.3.3. Gloucester, Gloucestershire (2nd-4th century AD) 4.1.3.4. Bath Gate, Cirencester, Gloucestershire (4th century AD) 4.1.3.5. Trentholme Drive, York, North Yorkshire (3rd-4th century AD) 4.1.3.6. Roman Winchester, Hampshire (1st-4th century AD) 4.1.3.7. Roman London 4.1.3.8. Clarence Street, Leicester, Leicestershire (3rd-4th century AD) 4.1.4. The minor urban sites 4.1.4.1. Ancaster, Lincolnshire (3rd-4th century AD) 4.1.4.2. Ashton, Northamptonshire (4th century AD) 4.1.4.3. Baldock, Hertfordshire (2nd-4th century AD) 4.1.4.4. Queenford Farm and Queensford Mill, Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire (3rd-4th century AD) 4.1.4.5. Great Casterton, Rutland (3rd-4th century AD) 4.1.4.6. Dunstable, Bedfordshire (3rd-5th century AD) 4.1.4.7. Springhead, Kent (1st-4th century AD) 4.1.4.8. Chesterton, Cambridgeshire (3rd-5th century AD) 4.1.5. The rural sites 4.1.5.1. Cannington, Somerset (3rd-4th century AD) 4.1.5.2. Watersmeet, Cambridgeshire (4th-5th century AD) 4.1.5.3. Frocester, Gloucestershire (3rd-5th century AD) 4.1.5.4. Bradley Hill, Somerset (4th-5th century AD) 4.1.5.5. Owslebury, Hampshire (1st-4th century AD) 4.1.5.6. Babraham Institute, Cambridgeshire (2nd-4th century AD) 4.1.5.7. Dorchester By-pass, Dorset (4th century AD) 4.1.5.8. Catsgore, Somerset (2nd-5th century AD) 4.1.5.9. Bantycock Gypsum Mine, Nottinghamshire (2nd-4th century AD) 4.1.5.10. Huntsman’s Quarry, Gloucestershire (2nd-3rd century AD) 4.2.5.11. Dewlish Roman villa, Dorset (4th century AD) 4.2. Methods 4.2.1. Overview 4.2.2. Age-at-death 4.2.2.1. Perinatal ageing 4.2.2.2. Non-adult ageing 4.2.2.3. Growth estimation 4.2.3. Dental and skeletal pathology 4.2.3.1. Dental enamel hypoplasia 4.2.3.2. Non-specific infections: new bone formation, osteomyelitis and osteitis 4.2.3.4. Specific infections: tuberculosis 4.2.3.5. Cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis 4.2.3.6. Metabolic disease 4.2.3.6.1. Vitamin D deficiency (rickets and osteomalacia) 4.2.3.6.2. Vitamin C deficiency (scurvy) 4.2.3.6.3. Thalassaemia 4.2.3.6.4. Malaria 4.2.4. The burial archaeology 4.2.5. Statistical analysis 5. Results I – The Palaeopathology 5.1. The study samples 5.2. The combined study sample 5.2.1. Age-at-death 5.2.2. Palaeopathology 5.3. The primary study sample 5.3.1. Age-at-death 5.3.2. The perinates 5.3.3. Growth profiles 5.3.4. Palaeopathology 5.3.4.1. Overview of total of skeletal lesions 5.3.4.2. Palaeopathology overview across the site types 5.3.4.3. Indicators of non-specific stress 5.3.4.4. Metabolic disease 5.3.4.5. Thalassaemia 5.3.4.6. Specific infectious diseases 5.3.4.7. Tuberculosis and non-specific respiratory disease 5.3.4.8. Trauma 5.3.4.9. Dislocation 5.3.4.10. Embryotomy 5.3.4.11. Congenital conditions 5.4. The primary study sample in comparison with iron age and Post-medieval data 5.4.1. Palaeopathology across Roman Britain and Late Iron Age Dorset 5.4.2. Comparative analysis with post-medival London 6. Palaeopathology And Burial Data Were children with pathological conditions treated differently in death? 7. Discussion 7.1. Scope of the study 7.2. Perinatal and infant mortality – reality or mirage? 7.3. Growth 7.3.1. Growth in Roman Britain and post-medieval London 7.3.2. Urban versus rural growth 7.3.3. Pathology and growth 7.4. The weanling’s dilemma? 7.5. Evidence for stress in the romano-british children 7.6. Risk of infection 7.6.1. Endocranial lesions 7.6.2. New bone formation 7.6.3. Tuberculosis and other respiratory infections 7.7. Hunger and restricted access - evidence for metabolic disease 7.7.1. Cribra orbitalia 7.7.2. Vitamin C and D deficiencies: no fresh fruit or sunlight? 7.8. Thalassaemia 7.9. Trauma 7.10. Congenital conditions 7.11. Adolescence and working lives 7.12. Romano-british childhood health in context 7.13. Pathologies of power – is there evidence for rural exploitation? 8. Conclusions And Final Thoughts Bibliographie Back Cover