Incremental analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in tooth dentine is used to explore child and adolescent diet among individuals in the Late Roman Michelet Necropolis (Lisieux, France; fourth to fifth centuries CE). We analyzed 292 incremental sections from 46 second and third molars to explore dietary patterns between the ages of 4.5 and 23.5 years. Results indicate that individuals consumed more, or higher trophic level, terrestrial-based animal proteins as they aged. Sex-based comparisons also suggest that males and females consumed isotopically similar diets for most of their childhood; however, around age 16.5, males exhibited significantly lower δ 15 N values than females with a large effect size (U = 21.0, p = 0.012, g = 1.3). This difference in diet occurs during an important age-based social change in the Roman life course, as individuals transitioned from childhood (pueritia) to adolescence (adulescentia). When the isotopic data are combined with literary and archaeological evidence, it suggests that this was the point when men and women diverged in their life course trajectories. Young men were expected to begin apprenticeships or military duty away from home, whereas women were kept close to their family home at this age. The isotopic results suggest these gendered experiences may have influenced dietary choices or access to foods at Lisieux-Michelet. The results of this study demonstrate the utility of using permanent dentition in adult remains to explore childhood experiences and provide new insights into child and adolescent diet and gendered experiences in the context of the Late Roman Empire.

Objectives: Puberty is a period of rapid growth and development, and the age of onset and duration of puberty may serve as an indicator of developmental stress during childhood. In this study, we compare pubertal timing and tempo in individuals from two Roman Imperial cemetery sites, integrating biological and social factors to better understand pubertal timing differences and their possible connection to Early Life Stress (ELS) and peri-pubertal stress.Materials and Methods: Osteological methods to estimate pubertal timing were applied to 264 individuals from Lisieux-Michelet (4th-5th centuries CE; France) and Isola Sacra (1st-4th centuries CE; Italy). Peptide analysis of tooth enamel was used to assess sex in a sub-sample of pre-pubertal remains.Results: Individuals experienced puberty between 9 and 20 years of age, with females experiencing the acceleration stage earlier than males (p < 0.05, g > 1.2).Between the two sites, no significant differences were noted for age-at-death during acceleration, peak height velocity, and deceleration (i.e., the active stages of puberty).Menarche occurred around 15 years of age.Discussion: The inter-site comparisons demonstrate similar patterns of pubertal timing and tempo. For males, the pubertal timing aligns with ancient literary descriptions of key puberty milestones. Females entered puberty earlier than literary sources suggest and experienced puberty for an extended period, pointing to possible gendered exposure to ELS and peri-pubertal stress, influenced by their social status in the Roman Empire. These results demonstrate how pubertal timing and tempo can be used to infer developmental stress in past populations.

The Michelet necropolis in Lisieux, France, dating to the late Roman and Merovingian period, comprises of a large number of well-preserved subadult remains offering a unique opportunity to better understand childhood trauma in the past. The focus of this study was to determine the amount, type and mechanisms of trauma evidenced in subadults from the 4th-8th century AD, and explore potential circumstances surrounding the trauma. The remains of 109 subadults from the Michelet necropolis were examined for the presence of cranial and post-cranial trauma. Three individuals exhibited perimortem trauma, one individual had an antemortem cranial injury, and no cases of post-cranial trauma were identified. Cranial trauma affected 4.1% of children with observable cranial remains (N = 4/97). The children affected were young (2-7 years old), making it unlikely that they would have participated in militaristic activities. Based on the location, morphology and mechanism of injury identified, it is likely that the perimortem injuries sustained by three children were not accidental. The presence of a number of cranial injuries from this site may be related to increased stress in the community related to the decline of the Roman Empire in Gaul, possible raiding barbarian groups during the 4th-5th centuries, or stresses related to the Gallic aristocracy solidifying political powers in northern Gaul during the 5th-7th centuries AD. The consideration and inclusion of childhood trauma in bioarchaeological analyses allows for a more detailed and in-depth understanding of violence and childhood in the past. Copyright

Les 1000 premiers jours de vie dans les populations du présent et du passé Malnutrition infantile à la fin de la période laténienne : l'apport de l'examen

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