Bradford’s Isobel Grimley will be talking at the CBA "Early Career Showcase 2025: Voices from the future of Archaeology. This is a free event and will be live streamed

Her paper will focus on uncovering the lived experiences of children and adolescents who are often still missing from the archaeological narrative. While bioarchaeology has made great advances in the study of children and adolescents in the recent decades, these individuals are still often seen as too complex or as offering little useful information beyond their age-at-death. Additionally, young individuals may erroneously be seen and interpreted simply as little adults. Yet these formative years are periods of profound physical and social change, and analysing young people’s skeletal remains can provide novel and important insights into what life was like in past societies.

Children are particularly vulnerable to health problems from challenging living conditions, making them incredibly sensitive indicators of past environmental and social change. My research applies the concept of frailty (previously used only on adult remains) to children, adolescents and young adults from medieval and post-medieval sites in Britain and the Isle of Man. This approach explores the embodiment of health during growth and development, and how these experiences can change over time in response to wider societal conditions.

The talk will reflect on what it means to study the bones of young individuals, and the challenges around interpreting these brief lives. The talk will highlight how bringing children and adolescents into focus will ensure that a more representative picture of past populations is built. The aim is to debunk myths, present how important it is to uncover these highly influential early life experiences, and, more broadly, remind ourselves that every adult story begins with a childhood.

Want more go to https://www.archaeologyuk.org/get-involved/events-and-activities/event-calendar/this-is-archaeology-early-career-showcase-2025-voices-from-the-future-of-archaeology.html