The Study of Adoption in Archaeological Human Remains

Abstract

This review aims to establish criteria for identifying an adoption process in an archaeological context. We define adoption as raising an individual who does not belong genetically to the family. Adoption appears in different moments of past societies, and when establishing a “family” nucleus burial place we must consider certain social behaviors, such as burials under the houses, collective burials, or laying bodies in specific positions. After observing these signs, we are carrying out a genetic analysis, in order to confirm a biologically related family nucleus. These traces have been traditionally linked to family nuclei because they have been found previously in burials where biological kinship was confirmed. However, there can be cases where, after carrying out the genetic analyses, it is confirmed that certain individuals are not genetically related. In such cases, an adoption case cannot be ruled out. These cases are not easy to identify due to the differences between societies and cultures, so more in-depth studies should be carried out on the type of funeral practice in which these human remains are found to be able to discriminate an adopted individual from one who was not adopted. Therefore, the study of adoption should be carried out based on an in-depth knowledge of the cultural background, before using a powerful tool such as ancient DNA technology.

Family in Medieval Society: A Bioarchaeological Perspective

“…In some cases, genetics is the only instrument capable of solving archaeological puzzles, such as determining relationships between individuals buried separately or identifying unrelated individuals buried together. In historical cases, genetic studies have special relevance as they can confirm or even reveal cases of adoption (Lozano-García et al 2023).…”

“…At the historical level, there are several cases of adoption, such as in ancient Rome, or ancient Egyptian society (Lozano-García et al 2023). However, in later historical periods, such as during European medieval times, adoption ceased to be a subject that was openly discussed, moving into the background.…”

Family History in the Iberian Peninsula during Chalcolithic and Bronze Age: An Interpretation through the Genetic Analysis of Plural Burials

“…This could be close kinship, or at least biological lineage relations among the individuals buried together. There may be exceptions, such as couples buried together without descendants or other relatives; or the case of adopted children (Lozano-García et al 2023). But in general, it is more usual to find family tombs with a biological link among the individuals buried together.…”