The Study Of Children In The Field Of Archaeology

Stephen Colella

ANTH 265

Professor Taylor

3 February 2016

Archaeology is such an important study, giving us insight to our past and answering questions that would otherwise go unanswered. Throughout the years, humans have developed and evolved reflecting the times, and we are given insight based on the artifacts and remains left behind. From the simplest of relics such as common garb we can infer the lifestyle that a person would have lived, from the material to the stitching, all giving clues as to who they were as a people. This gives way to a web of information, clothes and pottery, toys and hunting tools, each artifact uncovered tells a story, and shows us how we have evolved as a species. We are able to piece together this puzzle

It is important to see where we came from so that we can fully understand our society today, how our lives compare to that of the past, the similarities and differences. Archaeology is more than just studying old relics; it is giving us a gateway to the past in order to expand our horizons of the present. There are many different focuses in the field of archaeology that lend their way to different information, all of it with its unique importance. The childhood presence within archaeology, although neglected within the field, can give us a greater understanding of our beginnings.

Many archaeological studies tend to overlook the role of children within the household and society seeing as they were inferior, contributing very little to the way of life. “The apparent distance between children and the material and historical records, combined with a modern tendency to marginalize the importance of children, has led to most archaeologists to exclude children from the realm of archeological inquiry.” (Baxter, 2005) However, this may be a misconception, especially seeing as in many past societies children made up 40-65 percent of the population. Having that many children within the community is reasoning enough to explore

However, one may look at them as building blocks of the particular lifestyle, they are pliable in that they will absorb the culture and information surrounding them to continue that life. Children will learn from their parents, take apprentice like roles until they are able to share in the responsibilities expected of them. The number of children for a certain time period says much about the economy and well-being of the individual family, the more money the more children they have, which in turn gives back to their society. It is possible that perhaps there is insignificant evidence to support the importance of the adolescent role in which case many archeologists tend to leave out this aspect of research. Although given the abundance of information that can be learned, it seemed to be a lack of interest rather than a lack of evidence, and this has changed for the better over time. There has been a shift in history of the specific gender roles imprinted onto the children, and presently there are no set rules and biology isn’t the only factor. The role of the child has also shifted, once upon a time children were taught the basics in school, but that was often interrupted by the farming seasons and the work that took precedence. Children were no longer expected to quickly move onto contributing jobs, but to continue