Nested Environments: A Biocultural Examination of Malaria, Disease Stress, and Mother-Infant Health in a Rural Community in Late Antique Umbria

Abstract

ABSTRACT The late antique (ca. mid. 5th century CE) infant and child cemetery at Poggio Gramignano near Lugnano in Teverina (Umbria, Italy) is well-known for its association with malaria. However, less is known about the community members most closely connected to this cemetery space–in particular, the the infants' mothers. This paper more closely explores the health of the 62 individuals who have been recovered from the cemetery to date with the goal of exploring maternal health status at the time of infant death. Skeletal pathologies are reconsidered within the specific context of the placental fetal environment. Using a biocultural framework and analysis of nested environments, we explore the likely corresponding health of these infants’ mothers during late pregnancy and breastfeeding, taking into consideration the wider context of social and cultural factors that mediated Roman women’s behaviour, status, and access to resources in rural late antique Umbria. We conclude that these factors, combined with disease stress, profoundly shaped the fertility, morbidity, and mortality of this late antique community. In this context, fetal and perinatal health serve as a useful proxy for community health in the absence of adult remains.