Summertime is coming to an end and this means big changes for many of us who have loved ones going back-to-school in some capacity. Distance learning may be especially challenging for parents of younger children, who need so much attention and assistance. Considering how much we invest in our children, it's remarkable how invisible children are in the archaeological record. This week's theme brings together some resources on the archaeology of childhood. Note: Some of these posts describe burials and have images of human remains.
These two short videos provide an introduction to the topic: Hidden Histories: Childhood (9-minute video) and History of Childhood (9-minute video interview with UMass Lowell Professor Christopher Carlsmith)
SAPIENS brings us this piece by Stephen E. Nash: Did Women and Children Exist in Prehistory?
From Discover Magazine: Why Ancient Toys are Elusive Artifacts
This webpage has an article and a video by Jess Cooney (University of Cambridge): Prehistoric Pre-School Archaeological research reveals that 13,000 years before CBeebies hunter-gatherer children as young as three were creating art in deep, dark caves alongside their parents.
In the news from late 2019: Prehistoric Babies Fed Animal Milk in Bottles
This "Research Snapshot" from the Cornell Institute of Archaeology and Material Studies discusses Infant skull binding shaped identity, inequality in ancient Andes
Check out Growing up in the Roman Empire, a 6-minute video and webpage with lots of links to related blog posts as well as downloadable activities.
Also, on Rome is this TED-Ed, video Four Sisters in Ancient Rome (6-minute video) by Ray Laurence.
Two pieces discuss infant burial: Infant Jar Burials in Ancient Canaan and
Pigs on the Pyre- Solving Cremation Mysteries, a blog post by Katy Meyers Emery
Finally, check out The Dirt Stays Home-- The Dirt Podcast, Episode 89-- discussing how concepts of "house" and "home" and "living space" have shifted over the years, and takes a look at some ancient examples of home life including childhood in early postclassic Mexican households.