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Thesis
AN EXAMINATION OF WEANING AND CHILDHOOD PALAEODIET IN BOGOZ, TRANSYLVANIA, USING STABLE CARBON AND NITROGEN ISOTOPE ANALYSIS
University of West Florida
Master of Arts (MA), University of West Florida
2018
Abstract
The Reformed Church cemetery in Bogoz, Transylvania, was in use from the 12th to 19th centuries AD. Excavations of this church cemetery took place in 2009 and 2012 as rescue work during renovations of the church and church grounds, including the historic cemetery. Stable isotope analysis was conducted using both bone collagen and dentine collagen from deciduous and permanent tooth roots. The samples came from 23 non-adult skeletons ranging in ages from 36-38 weeks to 18 years. The palaeodietary analysis was conducted in an effort to learn more about the rural diet of children in Medieval Szekely culture during the periods of breastfeeding and weaning. The 15N dentine results (10.2% to 15.2%) and 13C dentine results (-19.6% to -12.6%) establish a large range in non-adult values that corresponds with age-related changes in palaeodiet as periods of breastfeeding, weaning, and childhood diet. It appears that infants, on average, were fully weaned by age three or four and were fed primarily C3 based resources in the form of weaning gruels, such as wheat, oats, or rye. Children were most likely consuming more terrestrial animal proteins in the form of milk, but carbon values were similar to those of adults.
Details
- Title
- AN EXAMINATION OF WEANING AND CHILDHOOD PALAEODIET IN BOGOZ, TRANSYLVANIA, USING STABLE CARBON AND NITROGEN ISOTOPE ANALYSIS
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Publisher
- University of West Florida
- Format
- text
- Copyright
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
- Identifiers
- 99380090844306600
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology
- Language
- English
- Awarding Institution
- University of West Florida; Master of Arts (MA)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), University of West Florida