Determinants of infant mortality and representation in bioarchaeological samples: A review

Abstract

AbstractIn bioarchaeological contexts, a complex relationship exists between infant representation in the age‐at‐death distribution, gestational and young child mortality rates, and the total fertility rate. The representation of infants in a skeletal sample may be influenced by a range of social, biological, and archaeological factors. To better understand the interactions between representation, fertility, and mortality, this study evaluates the relationship between infant‐juvenile age‐at‐death proportions, fertility rates, and a range of gestational and early childhood mortality measures. The statistical component of this study found the correlation between fertility rates and infant‐juvenile proportions was stronger than with any mortality rate variable of interest. This suggests that the proportion of infants in a mortuary sample is a stronger indicator of fertility than it is of infant‐juvenile mortality. Social, biological, and archaeological variables potentially influencing infant representation in skeletal samples are discussed and a strongly contextualized and holistic approach to infant and juvenile mortality is recommended.