Kids through adult eyes: the bioarchaeology of children

Bioarchaeology provides a set of powerful conceptual, methodological, and inferential tools for reconstructing aspects of both the biology and social identity of children who died well before their time in the ancient past. Using examples from prehistoric Vietnam, I will paint a picture of what it was like to live as a child in small tropical communities before the arrival of metal technologies. This period, the Neolithic, is characterized in Southeast Asia by a move from hunting land and water animals in addition to gathering wild plants, nuts, and seeds to incorporating domesticated crops (e.g., rice farming) and animals (e.g., pig rearing) into the general subsistence economy. It is a period devoid of metals such as bronze and iron, where stone adzes, sickles, and knives were used in their stead. We also see the introduction of pottery vessels, which facilitated the storage of food stuffs and enabled more efficient cooking methods. Sammys story is based on extensive archaeological excavations and intensive laboratory analysis, often involving experts from a wide range of specializations (ancient DNA, ceramic and lithic analysis, osteology, palaeopathology, zooarchaeology, palynology, etc.).