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ABSTRACT ObjectivesPuberty is a key transitional phase of the human life course, with important biological and social connotations. Novel methods for the identification of the pubertal growth spurt and menarche in skeletal remains have recently been proposed Lewis 2013, 2014). In this study we applied the methods to two Romano-British cemetery samples (1 st -early 5 th centuries AD) in order to investigate the timing of puberty during this period and further assess the veracity of the methods.
Materials and methodsShapland and Lewis' methods (2013Lewis' methods ( , 2014
ResultsOverall, the Romano-British males and females experienced the onset of puberty at similar ages to modern European adolescents, but subsequently experienced a longer period of pubertal development. Menarche occurred between the ages of 15-17 years for these Romano-British females, around 2-4 years later than for present-day European females.