Childhood in the Carpathians: An isotopic analysis of childhood diet and weaning in a medieval and Early Modern Transylvanian village

Abstract In this article, we explore aspects of daily life through the lens of non-adult diet in the High and Late Medieval (1000–1500 CE) and Early Modern (1500–1800 CE) periods using skeletons from a church cemetery located in Mugeni (Bogoz in Hungarian), Romania. Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis was conducted on dentin collagen samples from 20 non-adults as well as bone collagen from 3 non-adults. The mean dentin δ13C (−18.4‰ ± 1.7‰) and δ15N (12.5‰ ± 1.2‰) measurements reveal a variable overall non-adult diet consisting primarily of terrestrial proteins and the use of both C3 and C4 grains to varying degrees. An average decrease in nitrogen values over the non-adult life course additionally provides context on the weaning process and other dietary changes.