Chaptergreen2012

Mobilier funéraire et statut des enfants dans le monde indigène protohistorique du Sud de la France

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Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies Archaeological and Geological Studies

Abstract

This study concerns the indigenous population of Languedoc and Provence, and is based on the study of the mortal remains of more than 450 children of less than 15 years, whose age at death can be anthropologically determined with reasonable confidence. The funeral practices associated with them are not only distinguishable from those of adolescents and adults, but also vary considerably between infantile age-classes. These differences are particularly perceptible in grave-goods and in other aspects of deposition such as the location and form of the burial, and allow different stages in the role of children in society to be discerned. Foetuses and neonates, as well as some infants and 1-6 month children, who have not yet been admitted into village society, are buried without accompanying objects. Infants of between 6 and 12 months are buried with only a few objects, probably with prophylactic connotations. Children aged 1-6 are treated more like adults, but the items deposited are usually fewer, and if they have a sexual connotation, they are related to the female world; this probably reflects an initial stage of education by women in households that did not differentiate between boys and girls. Burials of children in the 7-14 age-group exhibit a consistent symbolic transformation; almost as many of them contain items considered masculine as feminine, indicative of specific education according to sex; in two cases, items in burials of elder male children reflect aspects beyond the scope of daily life, namely war and feasting. Childhood seems to stop at around 15 years of age, after which the material associated with adolescents is no different from that found with adults.