Coming of Age in the Roman Empire

Abstract

In modern populations, adolescence is recognized as a pivotal part of the life course, but bioarchaeologists have not yet widely considered the experiences of adolescents in the past. This research investigates the biological and social changes during Roman adulescentia for individuals buried at Isola Sacra (1st-4th centuries CE; Italy) and Lisieux-Michelet (4-5th centuries CE; France). To investigate biological changes, this thesis identifies osteological indicators of pubertal timing and peptide analysis to assess biological sex for pre-pubertal individuals (n=264). Results demonstrate that adulescentia experienced an extended period of puberty, from nine to 20 years of age; menarche occurred around 15 years of age. Comparisons between the two archaeological sites demonstrate similar patterns of pubertal timing, suggesting similar exposure to Early Life Stress. To investigate the social changes, this research uses stable isotope analysis of incremental dentine sections in teeth, to investigate dietary change between childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Incorporating literary sources, observed changes in diet are contextualized in relation to expected social age changes for middle-class individuals within the Roman Empire. At both sites, females exhibit a gradual dietary transition, reflecting a gradual social age change, or that diet is not an appropriate proxy for social age changes for women. For males, changing dietary patterns correspond with the beginning of adulescentia, when these young men took on new roles within their communities and underwent pubertal development. This research demonstrates that adulescentia was an extended period of biological and social change for males and females, which took on different forms depending on one’s sex/gender and social position. This research also demonstrates how investigations of adolescence can permit a more holistic interpretation of this transitional period of the life course and exposes the transitional experiences of these individuals as they come of age in the Roman Empire.