How much did children grow in the Middle Ages? Analysis of baby teeth provides clues and information about child development in the 7th century AD
A new study published in the journal PLOS ONE, a collaboration between Sapienza University of Rome, the University of Bologna, and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, revealed a significant difference in the timing of dental development between medieval Italian children and modern European children.
During the early Middle Ages in Italy, local communities experienced significant social and cultural transformations, such as the Lombard conquest of Mantua in 602 AD, which led to processes of integration between populations. In this context, bioarchaeological analysis provides fundamental details about the living and health conditions of human groups involved in such profound changes. For example, by analysing tooth enamel, it is possible to accurately reconstruct the timing and rate of crown formation, which correlates with an individual's growth during childhood.
Microscopic examination of the enamel microstructures of the first deciduous molars, which begin to form during pregnancy, therefore provides an insight not only into the first years of life, but also into the development of the foetus and, consequently, the health of the mother.
The researchers analysed 34 children's teeth from the necropolis of Casalmoro and Guidizzolo (7th-8th century AD), in the province of Mantua, Lombardy, found during excavations in 1996. They found that the dental enamel of medieval Mantuan children grew more slowly than that of European children today, regardless of either biological sex.
“The data obtained show a strong homogeneity between the two necropolises in child growth rates”, says Stefano Magri, a PhD student at the University of Bologna and the study's first author. “These results, in addition to suggesting a hypothetical relationship between the two communities, revealed differences with populations from the same historical period, but from geographic areas that have been the subject of previous studies”.
Furthermore, sex determination through the identification of certain proteins in dental enamel is an innovative aspect in bioarchaeology, useful for analysing potential differences in child development.
“Human dental enamel is an extraordinary biological archive that tells the story of an individual from the earliest stages of intrauterine development, making it a unique tool for investigating crucial periods in an individual's life”, explains Stefano Benazzi, Professor of Physical Anthropology at the University of Bologna. “Moreover, its observation, combined with the use of proteomic analyses to determine the biological sex of individuals, allows us to understand potential differences between males and females even in infant remains, where skeletal features are not distinctive”.
“This work highlights the importance of the study of baby teeth for understanding crucial phases of human life and reconstructing them in the even more ancient past, as was done, for example, by our research group on Neanderthals”, says Alessia Nava, Professor of Physical Anthropology at Sapienza University.
References:
Enamel histomorphometry, growth patterns and developmental trajectories of the first deciduous molar in an Italian early medieval skeletal series - Stefano Magri, Owen Alexander Higgins, Federico Lugli, Sara Silvestrini, Antonino Vazzana, Luca Bondioli, Alessia Nava, Stefano Benazzi - PLoS One 2024. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304051
Further Information
Owen Alexander Higgins
Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome
owenalexander.higgins@
Alessia Nava
Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome