A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Early childhood diets in medieval and Post-Medieval Pälkäne, Finland: Insights from stable isotope analysis




AuthorsVäre, Tiina; Nordfors, Ulla

PublisherElsevier

Publishing placeAMSTERDAM

Publication year2025

JournalJournal of archaeological science : reports

Journal name in sourceJOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE-REPORTS

Journal acronymJ ARCHAEOL SCI-REP

Article number105113

Volume63

Number of pages10

ISSN2352-409X

eISSN2352-4103

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105113(external)

Web address https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105113(external)

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/491589361(external)


Abstract

Early childhood nutrition is crucial for long-term health, yet little is known about breastfeeding and weaning practices in medieval and post-medieval Finland. This study investigates early childhood dietary histories of six individuals buried at St. Michael's Church in Palkane (13th-19th centuries CE) using stable isotope ẟ13C and ẟ15N) analyses of dentin collagen from first permanent molars. These isotopic profiles reveal that all individuals were initially breastfed, but the duration and nature of weaning practices varied. Three medieval individuals (13th century) exhibited prolonged breastfeeding periods of approximately two years or more, consistent with broader European medieval norms. In contrast, two post-medieval children (late 18th-early 19th centuries) were weaned significantly earlier, around their first birthday, possibly reflecting social and economic shifts in dietary practices. Evidence of stress markers, such as enamel hypoplasia and isotopic shifts, suggests that weaningrelated malnutrition or disease influenced some individuals' health and survival. Notably, differences in ẟ15N values point to variations in weaning foods compared to average post-weaning diets, with one medieval individual's profile suggesting the possible inclusion of C4 plants, possibly Chenopodium album, in the weaning diet.


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Funding information in the publication
Academy of Finland decision number 323428, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, and Human Diversity consortium, Profi7 program by Research Council of Finland, grant 352727.


Last updated on 2025-02-05 at 10:25