Reconstructing Infant Development and Maternal Adaptations in Western Mediterranean Early Bronze Age through dental bioarchaeology

forthcoming

The success of societies is intrinsically linked to the health and well-being of mothers and their children, with breastfeeding and weaning practices playing critical roles in early childhood development. By comparing two contemporaneous populations —one from the hierarchical El Argar Culture in a resource-abundant environment and the other in a resource-scarce setting in the Balearic Islands—, the WEANED-AWAY project embarks on a pioneering exploration of how Early Bronze Age populations in the Western Mediterranean adapted to environmental and social stressors imposed by extreme climatic conditions and emerging social complexities. This project stands at the forefront of bioarchaeological research, employing high-resolution analyses on human teeth to reconstruct the biological histories of individuals from infancy to adulthood, providing a unique window into the physiological responses of women and infants during this transformative period. The project’s innovative, multidisciplinary approach integrates dental histomorphometry, paleoproteomic, trace element analysis, and dental microwear studies to address three key research objectives: 1) to understand how women and infants responded to environmental and social stressors; 2) to determine the timing and influences of weaning practices; and 3) to analyze adult dietary adaptations. Thus, WEANED-AWAY not only seeks to deepen our understanding of early-life adversities and adult life history in prehistoric societies, but also aims to provide novel tools for interpreting the dynamics of interaction, formation, and development of emerging complex societies in the Mediterranean. The Early Bronze Age groups are ideally suited for exploring these phenomena, offering critical insights into human adaptability and resilience facing changing climates and societal transformations.