Bone stable isotope evidence for infant feeding in Mediaeval England

Mays, S.; Richards, M.P.; Fuller, B.

doi:10.1017/s0003598x00091067

Bone stable isotope evidence for infant feeding in Mediaeval England

Mays, S.; Richards, M.P.; Fuller, B.

Authors

S. Mays

M.P. Richards

B. Fuller

Abstract

This paper is a first study of duration of breastfeeding using bone stable isotopes in infants in a British palaeopopulation, from the deserted Mediaeval village of Wharram Percy, England. Nitrogen stable isotope analysis suggests cessation of breastfeeding between 1 and 2 years of age. Comparison with Mediaeval documentary sources suggests that recommendations of physicians regarding infant feeding may have influenced common practice in this period.

Citation

Mays, S., Richards, M., & Fuller, B. (2002). Bone stable isotope evidence for infant feeding in Mediaeval England. Antiquity, 76(293), 654-656. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0003598x00091067

Journal Article Type	Article
Publication Date	Sep 1, 2002
Deposit Date	Jul 20, 2009
Publicly Available Date	Jun 24, 2011
Journal	Antiquity
Print ISSN	0003-598X
Electronic ISSN	1745-1744
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	76
Issue	293
Pages	654-656
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1017/s0003598x00091067
Keywords	d15N, Breastfeeding, Weaning, Mediaeval, Wharram Percy.
Publisher URL	http://antiquity.ac.uk/ant/076/Ant0760654.htm