Investigating patterns of growth disturbances in a Neolithic sample from Liguria (northwestern Italy, 4800-4400 BCE) from the analysis of enamel defects and diet - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu
Poster De Conférence Année : 2019

Investigating patterns of growth disturbances in a Neolithic sample from Liguria (northwestern Italy, 4800-4400 BCE) from the analysis of enamel defects and diet

Irene Dori
  • Fonction : Auteur
Gwenaëlle Goude
Alessandra Varalli
  • Fonction : Auteur
  • PersonId : 1028044
Jacopo Moggi-Cecchi
V.S. Sparacello
  • Fonction : Auteur

Résumé

The demographic expansion associated with the Neolithic Transition appears to have been a consequence of increased female fertility, due to a reduced interbirth interval, which increased reproductive fitness despite high infant mortality. This implies a more rapid weaning process, which can expose the weanling to nutritional stress and infectious risks. We explored these micro-evolutionary adaptations and life-history parameters in a chrono-culturally homogeneous Neolithic skeletal sample (Square Mouth Pottery, 4800-4400 cal BCE) from the Finalese area (Liguria, northwestern Italy; n=12). We jointly analyzed patterns in enamel growth disturbances (linear enamel hypoplasia, LEH) to explore early childhood stress, and diachronic dietary changes via isotopic (δ13C, δ15N) incremental dentine analysis (n=2). Based on evidence of a highly infectious local environment, we expected that the investment in immune defense with the cessation of breastfeeding would come as a cost to growth, resulting in a well-defined signal of developmental stress. Results indicate a statistically significant increase in enamel defects around 2.5-3 years, followed by a rapid decline. Isotopic data suggest the introduction of weaning foods by the first year, but also a rather long time for the reaching of the adult levels of δ15N. This suggests that maternal milk may have been supplemented well into the second year, as proposed for other Neolithic sites, and as observed ethnographically in areas with high pathogen load and limited nutritional resources. This may have been a strategy to maximize children immunity, although it may have been an unsuccessful strategy, given that all the individuals died before reaching adulthood.
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hal-03533547 , version 1 (18-01-2022)

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  • HAL Id : hal-03533547 , version 1

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Irene Dori, Eliza Orellana-González, Gwenaëlle Goude, Alessandra Varalli, Jacopo Moggi-Cecchi, et al.. Investigating patterns of growth disturbances in a Neolithic sample from Liguria (northwestern Italy, 4800-4400 BCE) from the analysis of enamel defects and diet. The 88th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Mar 2019, Cleveland, United States. . ⟨hal-03533547⟩

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