Infant feeding and weaning practices in Roman Egypt

    Authors

    T. L. Dupras; H. P. Schwarcz;S. I. Fairgrieve

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.

    Keywords

    nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes; diet; Dakhleh Oasis; STABLE NITROGEN-ISOTOPES; HUMAN TOOTH ENAMEL; BONE-COLLAGEN; PAST; POPULATIONS; DAKHLEH OASIS; CARBON; RATIOS; CLIMATE; ECOLOGY; PLANTS; Anthropology; Evolutionary Biology

    Abstract

    Current knowledge of infant feeding and weaning practices during the Roman period in Egypt is limited to scanty documentary and iconographic evidence. Stable nitrogen and carbon isotope analysis provides another avenue to explore this question. A sample of 49 infant and juvenile human skeletal remains from the Kellis 2 cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, was used to determine patterns of infant feeding and weaning. delta N-15 values indicate that supplementary foods were introduced at around 6 months of age, and that weaning was complete by 3 years of age. By 6 months of age, delta C-13 values become increasingly enriched over adult values, and reach peak enrichment at approximately 1.5 years of age. Beyond this age, delta C-13 gradually declines to approach adult values. This enrichment in infant delta C-13 values is indicative of consumption of C-13-enriched supplementary foods. Based on isotopic study of faunal and botanical remains from the ancient village of Kellis, we conclude that at approximately 6 months of age, infants were fed milk of goat and/or cow. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

    Journal Title

    American Journal of Physical Anthropology

    Volume

    115

    Issue/Number

    3

    Publication Date

    1-1-2001

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    204

    Last Page

    212

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000169785200002

    ISSN

    0002-9483

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